I wanna listen to the trees, maybe stare up at the clouds. Yes, I want to get lost, let’s get lost

Another month down, we are now in August. June’s photos went up a little late, so this feels like July was even shorter than it was. One more summer month filled with great company and magnificent skies.
I have spent the last couple of days planning and writing the next months blog posts, so don’t worry – it isn’t becoming just my monthly photos. However, I hope you enjoy seeing a small collection of snapshots for July.

July, week one.
I am sure by now that you know I love a good sunset/sky photo. There’s something I have always been drawn to and felt the need to capture in the sky. This one was taken from my boyfriend’s garden, and the light is just spectacular. A fairly self explanatory selfie, always in my favourite necklace from Sugar and Vice. Christopher couldn’t decide what to do one day and as we were driving we came across a place to see Meerkats and a whole host of other cute animals that you could stroke. I wanted to put one of each in my bag to bring home though…

July, week two.
The second week of July brought showerwashywashy time into Dolly’s life. After ten years she finally accepts that this is going to happen from time to time and she goes along with it now, albeit unhappily. The process takes Floss and I to both keep her in the shower (much harder with a wet room), actually wash her and then quickly run after her downstairs to let her in the garden to rub herself on everything. May or June saw us go to the pier and we chose a bubble gun (for the dog) with all of the tickets we had accumulated. I think my sister and Sam enjoyed playing with it far more than Dolly did though. My dad came home with these curiously named burgers one day for dinner, we are still none the wiser as to why they are labelled this way though.

July, week three.
A selfie taken whilst sat under a tree with the dog, trying to keep up both cool whilst we waited for family to return from fruit picking in sweltering heat in the Kent countryside. A beautiful sunshine yellow Sunflower to place next to a photo of my mum. And the most delicious banana, strawberry and cherry sorbet/smoothie hybrid I’ve ever made. A photo of the haul my sister and Sam managed to pick when we went down to Kent, slowly working our way through the punnet of fruits.

July, week four.
It had been a very long time since I had seen the Surrogate Mothers Club, so it was arranged that we meet one evening for drinks and a catch up. There may have been some super sneaky shots consumed whilst waiting for our other drinks to be ready each time too. A really lovely evening sat outside chatting and enjoying a gin or five. The week following that weekend left me feeling really anxious, an underlying feeling of dread kept washing over me and I couldn’t shake it; as much as I felt I was going mad. So I slapped some makeup on (hence the selfie) and took myself off to see Christopher for twentyfour hours. Although I couldn’t fully shake the panic that evening, I was feeling much better on the Sunday. I could breathe a little better and I think it was just what I needed, a change of scene and pace. Another glorious sky photo, it was so blue and perfect just before I had to come home (which wasn’t as straight forward as it should be, two trains and a car ride home, thanks to Southern Rail, the most useless train providers ever).

You’re everything that I hoped for, that’s why I gave you my all

I came to write about something exciting, but first I am going to vent about the crappy day I am currently having (the exciting bit does come, I promise).
Today began with wiggly anxious feet, which is never the way a lady wishes to arise from her slumber. With too much unsolicited adrenaline my extremities tingle and I need to release this, so feet wiggling like I’m in Footloose is my usual go-to. Checking the time on my phone I realise I still have an hour before my alarm insists I get up. So I attempt to go back to sleep but I am met with the anxious thoughts that accompany my eighties dance movie choreography. Great. Then I receive a text from my sister to inform me that Dolly (the dog) has been sick a lot in the garden. Yippee. By this point it’s clear that I am not going back to sleep. I drag myself out of bed, eyes still mostly asleep whilst I get dressed to walk the dog and face the day. As I head downstairs I am met with an odor of vomit and two huge piles of sick. One of them is a revolting tangle of green slimy grass. Oh joy. As I go towards the back of the house to let the dog in to the garden, what do I see? Oh yes, that would be another 3 piles (this time its the raw chicken from last nights dinner), slick and putrid. Excellent. Then there is more in the garden and more in the living room I discover. Poor dog, clearly shes unwell but also, gross. It’s not even half nine in the morning yet. After spending a fair while doing my best Cinderella before she meets the prince impression, I walk the dog; who spends most of her time eating more grass…
My shopping is due to be delivered between ten and twelve today, so I await its arrival and get on with a multitude of boring house chores. However, the shopping still hasn’t arrived half an hour after the time-slot has ended. Weird. After logging into my account it would appear that I didn’t finish the transaction yesterday so our shopping won’t be coming today. And I haven’t even mentioned my strange enchanted hand that keeps going a little numb every now and then. I get to climb into a dark hole and never come out again now, right?!
Okay, I get that worse things happen at sea and certainly worse things have happened in my life, but today’s morning has felt relentlessly bleak. Roll on tomorrow evening and being with the boy I am incredibly fond of in a place that helps me breathe a little easier (when I’m not feeling anxious anyway *monkey covering eyes emoji*).

Now, onto much better news. On Tuesday the seventeenth of May, this blog hit twenty thousand overall views! I am so excited about this. I never thought I would actually keep up blogging, and I certainly never thought many if any people would want to read it. But I did and you did and now I’ve hit a huge milestone for someone who has just written a whole passage about dog vomit.
Thank you to everyone who reads my blog regularly or if you are entirely new and you’re helping me on my way to thirty thousand. I appreciate every view, every comment and every share I receive. You are all lovely people and I am so pleased that anyone would want to read my work.
I thought that I would link you my Facebook page, so should you wish to keep up to date and notified when a new post is published you can do so. Or, if you are a fellow WordPress user, feel free to hit ‘Follow’.
Here are some of my favourite pieces I have published on here, in case you missed them:

• Hold your head high, heavy heart (- Dear teenagers, it gets better or at least different).
• I have the dance moves of a mustache and the singing voice that sounds like a beard on the inside of my cheeks (- for all that love those with a beard and those that have careless whiskers to tame).
• And I am finally seeing that I was the one worth leaving (- Inspired by Frank Turner and moving on from something that never quite fit).
• You hid there last time, you know we’re gonna find you (-My tale of always being the fat girl and how some builders harassed me).
• But I am a ghost, just haunting myself (- An exercise in dissipating writers block, melancholic whimsy at its best).
• I’m ready to hope, swing me out of the low; wide awake in the glow, can’t do it alone (- Sadness and hope combined in melancholia. My canary sings no more).
• And I kissed him back like and arsonist with a pocket full of matches (-romanticised romance).

Once again, thank you.

All girls to the front

This post is late, I know. But I have been unwell on and off with various things for the past few weeks. My body decided to let down all protective barriers and the army of germs came storming my beaches. I have never sneezed so much in my life, even my tongue hurts… Anyway, enough excuses. This just means you get this post now, and hopefully another on Friday.
I wanted to write about International Women’s Day (eighth of March) last week and all of the women that inspire me. I have decided to stick to that regardless of the fact it is a week late, because these women inspire and empower me daily. They deserve celebrating every day. There are lots of women in my real life and my online life that support and encourage me; I couldn’t fit them all into this one post. However, I am working on a series for this blog that spotlights each woman individually – in the hopes of sharing with you why I think they’re so great. Keep your eyes peeled.

Lets start with the small independent business women.
Sarah, is one half of amazing jewellery and accessories company Sugar and Vice. Amazingly creative and stylish as well as showing all the quirky girls you can be successful and empower others along the way. Collaborating with and supporting other small female run businesses is how it should be done and Sarah is awesome at doing just that. If you know me or have read this blog for a while you will know that I am rarely seen without my S&V pentagram necklace. Sarah’s feminist pin and patch game is beyond enviable too.
Lucy is the very talented woman behind Bloody Mary Metal jewellery company. Offering the most beautiful silver and gold jewellery for the slightly more alternative of us all, women and men. BMM is another of my very favourite jewellery companies out there, I am rarely seen without my Little Bone and personalised stack ring (I’m still devastated that I lost my droplet stacker). Bloody Mary Metal are only going up from here, and this lady is killing it.
Sophie owns the, in my opinion, best flower crown and sparkly hair accessory business you will ever come across – Crown and Glory. I own a few pieces and they are all so well made and make me feel incredibly special every time I wear one. Not only does Sophie cater to your every whimsical hair accessory need, she will also provide you with some stunningly beautiful/unconventional wedding pieces. And just to make me love these independent women even more, Sugar&Vice and Crown and Glory have collaborated and come up with a rad set of hair accessories.
So ladies and gentlemen, get yourselves over to these amazing women’s companies and help support these impeccably talented humans.

Ladies of YouTube
Sanne, aka: Books and Quills on YouTube, is a self proclaimed feminist and she has read a whole tonne of books. Her YouTube channel is mostly dedicated to what books she has been reading recently as well as other fascinating bookish wonders. An intelligent and thoroughly interesting woman with well formed opinions on life and literature.
Formerly know as EssieButton on Youtube, Estee Lalonde has rebranded and become more of a vocal advocate for women. No longer just dedicated to beauty vlogging, Estee has opened an honest and inviting place for ladies of all ages to converse about all the things we encounter on a daily basis. With a new series called FemTalk on her channel viewers can talk about anything from ‘losing’ their virginity to period cravings.
Ingrid Nilsen, has been on YouTube for a long time now. Throughout her years on the site she has always sought to encourage women, but none more so than in the past year. Now in her mid-twenties Ingrid has finally accepted and embraced her true self, leading to a very emotional and heart-wrenching Coming Out video on her channel. Since then Ingrid has been really stepping forward and helping women and all other genders to feel more empowered and taking subjects previously seen as ‘awkward to discuss even though we all have/do it’ and made it less taboo. Ingrid is now also a UN Ambassador for change, representing the US, with six other women from around the globe.
So if you are looking for smart, funny and interesting women on YouTube, instead of another ‘back to school haul’ or ‘challenge’ video, give these awesome wonders a try.

A very small offering of my Everyday Heroes
I first met Christa when we were both doing nail art in a room that was also part of a tattoo and piercing studio. I liked this sassy and creative woman. Although the business all went to pot, I have remained in contact with this ever so talented woman. A fellow blogger, bookworm and Girl Power warrior, Mrs Bass often inspires and encourages my own writing and creative outputs.
Although a couple of years ago I didn’t even know Naomi, she has quickly become one of my very favourite people in life. She doesn’t mess about in her opinions but shes kind and compassionate to boot. A great friend and she’s proving to be a grand blogger too. Confident, sassy and funny she inspires me to be happier within myself daily.
My grandma and mum were my strong and wise pillars in life. In the last seven years, way way too early, I have lost them both. The women who taught me everything I know about life and helped shape me to be everything I am now. I will strive every day of my life to be as knowledgeable and steadfastly kick-ass as these women were. My ultimate role models and barometer on how to weather the storms of life. They showed me daily how to be strong and compassionate, and do small things with great love.

I wish I had more time to share with you all of the fabulous and enlivening women I am lucky to encircle myself with on a regular and daily basis. However, over the next few months expect my attempts to at least try and do just that.
And remember, whether they are female, male or anyone in between, love and encourage those around you to be better people.

(I do not own some of these images).

Maybe I’ll find something real, not a fantasy so divine

It’s almost my twentysixth birthday. There will be more to come at the end of the month regarding how that truly makes me feel. Your midtwenties are weird, you feel the sense of getting older and more pressing responsibilities and yet there are other moments when you still feel like a teenager.
To combat my vague sense of impending doom, I have compiled a list of lovely things I would like to receive for my birthday. Because, who doesn’t like presents?!
Here is a link to my wishlistr page, where (if you feel so inclined) you can buy me wonderful things without duplicating with other friends and family.

Prints:

I love a good print and I try to only buy original pieces. Art that someone has taken the time to make themselves rather than a stock photo. These wondrous pieces are all on Etsy, and are all really affordable. The dinosaur is so cute and witty. I asked my friends on Facebook whether I needed the Shia LaBeouf print as much as I think I do, the general consensus was a resounding HELL YES! (although it was a resounding hell no! off of Facebook, but what do they know?!..). If you know me well or happened to stumble across my Wednesday Addams post, you’ll be familiar with my pure and resounding love for this awesome character. A great role model for girls and women alike, to true be yourself no matter what everyone else is doing.

Books/written word:

My name is Lydia, and I cannot stop buying books. The feel, the smell and the excitement resonating from some paper with words typed across them is something I relish in every time a new book comes to live with me. I read their stories, I fall in love and then they become my friend, sat upon my fully loaded bookshelves. Bookworms like I will understand this, I promise. And then there is Darling magazine, with their mission statement of “Darling is the art of being a woman”, “Darling is a catalyst for positive change; leading women to discover beauty apart from vanity”. Checkout their website to read all about their full mission. A magazine that is articles and essays about womanhood and inspirational women. None of the photos used in the magazine have been retouched and they use real women, you aren’t being subjected to the images the mass media want you to absorb until you feel bad about yourself.

Accessories (part one):

In my family it is a tradition to adorn your wrists with silver bangles. My grandma always wore hers, my mother always wore hers and now my sister and I jingle and jangle, our right wrists always adorned by our own set. I like how we each have our own unique melody, if you know us well enough you will always know who is coming round the corner. I have been looking for a thin hammered bangle for ages, and this one is lovely.
These three incredibly cute, by way of witchy, enamel badges I also found on Etsy. Perfect to add a little gothy twist to my already entirely black outfits…
These Pansy temporary tattoos have had me lusting over them for around two years now. I haven’t got around to buying them because they’re fairly expensive for what they are. And always “do I really need them?” is swimming around in my head…I mean you’ve all seen what I want so far right? It’s a sensible red cord in my brain.
A big fan of BloodyMaryMetal, I have been coveting this pricey but beautiful piece of jewellery for a long while now. I love that now my generation have gotten older, there are fine pieces of jewellery and accessories made for the alternative kids who aren’t ever ready to let go. For those of us who will forever be low key emo.

Pretties that hold things:

Terrariums are back in style and thank god because I have been after one for ages. Thankfully with the rise in popularity they are now much cheaper than when I first wanted one. The copper lined ones are particularly lovely.
I was shown the company that sell these bags on Amazon around a month ago, and have been lusting after this gorgeous overnight bag ever since. Pricey (although on sale) and made of real leather, its gorgeous. Living where I live often means having to stay elsewhere when I go on a night out and due to some new circumstances in my life, it means I shall be staying elsewhere more often and I would much rather do it with this beauty beside me.
In true magpie style I own a tonne of jewellery and I am always looking for more places to store it. I already have one of these clear acrylic draws but I could always do with another one. If I can see all of my jewellery I am more inclined to remember I have it and therefore wear it more often.
This lovely, thick notebook is the exact same one I bought for my sister for Christmas; and the exact same one she almost didn’t end up with because I wanted to keep it too much. I was expertly talked out of keeping hers, but I still want my own version.

Accessories (part two):

A friend recently showed me her newly purchased Gwen Stefani X Urban Decay palette and it was glorious. Mostly beautiful neutral/gold tones with a couple of vampy brighter shades; it truly is a masterpiece.
I already own a trioshade of purple rose flower crown from the masterful Crown and Glory, but then I saw this majestic navy one and I think that needs to come and live with me too. I have already chosen a gigantic glittery bow from them that I plan to wear for my birthday. However, for my everyday glitter needs these adorable glitter star bobby-pins are a must!
Jo Malone perfume is a very frivolous luxe product. So expensive for a small amount of perfume, but the Peony and Blush Suede is delicious. An incredible floral scent that is almost identical to my favourite perfume that was discontinued by Stella McCartney.

Misc.:
I have been planning to make myself one of these for ages, but for one reason or another I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. This pentagram harness is everything a mid-twenties goth girl desires…and this one is studded people!!!
After seeing a friend from school get a tattoo from this lady I have been obsessed with her work. Rebecca Vincent works at Parliament Tattoo in London, and the picture above is pretty spot on for the tattoo I must have and have been searching for for five years. This ladies work is pure magic and just simply perfection.

All the things listed in this blog post are on my wishlist with links and prices for your own perusal. Or if you happen to be my mysterious and unfathomably rich benefactor, to buy me for my birthday.

machine men with machine minds and machine hearts!

Stuff I like on the internet. For this mid-week post that is what you shall be receiving. I am far too easily distracted today to write fully in-depth cohesive thoughts and have them be vaguely interesting for an entire post. I have turned the tv to mute, then off, tried music, tried classical music and I am still not really concentrating on the task in hand – this blog post. But I wanted to post something today. First off, I am once again expressing my love for John and Hank Green. They can really do no wrong in my book. They have several YouTube channels in which they are witty and intelligent – One of my new favourites being Crash Course. There are lots of short vibrant videos on: psychology, chemistry, US history, literature, ecology, biology and world history.
Also, Hank Green developed an Emmy Award winning series called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a modernized adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice. The story is told primarily through Lizzie Bennet‘s Video Diaries, while being supported by her and other characters social media streams.” Its brilliant, awesome and very funny. Go go go!
Polo Nutini is back with new songs and a tour soon! This makes me extremely happy. His voice is so beautiful and is definitely in my top 5 favourites. He consistently gives me goosebumps and everything he does is perfect for the warming weather. His song Iron Sky is nothing short of entirely wonderful.

This Patrick Stump Quote
Pretentious quotes to live your life by. The internet if full of teenage angst ridden photos of mountains with deep quotes written over the top, taken from books or songs. For the most part I try to avoid such things – text that has been taken out of context and placed upon an image of no consequence irks me. However, when I see them printed in a bold font on a white background…well, it makes me want to buy them sometimes. Do these declarations on how you wish your life to be lived actually make an impact? One of my favourites is monochrome and boldly says “oh darling, let’s be adventurers” – does this mean that one morning I will grab my fedora and whip on my way out of the door to the temple of doom? I doubt it. However it does occur to me that if I were to follow the ‘inspirational meaning’ behind the prints I want on my walls, well, it could all end rather badly for me.
Tattooed fairy tales by Glenn Arthur
Pizza Hut Vs. Papa Roach 
This movie quote from Jawbreaker
This dogs face
I started off strong and ended with a photo of a smiling dog. Yeah its one of those days. I promise the next post will be far more interesting than this one. Please go and check out John and Hank Greens links at the top of this blog post, they really are worth it. If nothing else, I hope this post has put a smile upon your face or caused you to expel too much air through your nostrils (internet laughing). I shall return later this week with something more worthwhile…or perhaps some men with cheekbones and beards. Much spending has been done from my account too (it is not particularly happy about this), so when everything arrives I may do a ‘haul’ post if that is something people want to see? It is mostly a load of random stuff. I have lots of other ideas too, I just need to stop being so bloody good at procrastinating!
Thanks for reading this ever so rambling disjointed post.

(I do not own these images/songs)

Twenty five years from now, will you come to my cremation? Sherry or beer, family and friends, Will you be there? Will you be there?

I don’t often use Spotify but so many people do, so I thought I would make a playlist of songs that I love. I have made a collection of 30 tracks, all fairly varied from one another. I will try and link it back to my profile, but I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to Spotify. We shall see if I manage to master it enough to do so.

I don’t think many of them are particularly new songs…some of them are from the 50s. There should be enough of a variation for you to find at least one song you like. I hope. If you click on the photo above it should link you to my playlist if I have managed to do it right. If not, let me know and I will try and figure it out.
And as I haven’t done a GUY FRIDAY in ages, here are 3 boys to cheer up this grey Friday.

Guillermo Diaz
Dylan O’Brien
Jake Johnson

(I do not own these images).

You got these little things that you’ve been running from, You either love it or guess you don’t, You’re such a pretty thing to be running from anyone

It has been a while since I posted anything really but I am just not in the mood to get deep and ramble on about stuff today (I’m sure some of you are fairly relieved). So today I am going to make a collection of stuff I like on the internet. Stuff I want to buy/things that amuse me and other bits and pieces.

This house.

This photo.

This light.

This street art.

This film.

This hair.

This tiny post set.

This print.

This game.

This song (click the photo).

This book.

This Brendon Urie Vine collection (click the photo).

This blog (click on the image).

That was a taster of the stuff I am enjoying on the internet right now. If you click on the photos they all link back to where I found them originally so you can go and check them out yourselves. I hope you enjoy some of them and please feel free to leave in the comments some of the stuff you are enjoying.

(I do not own any of these images).

“Kissing a man with a beard is a lot like going to a picnic. You don’t mind going through a little bush to get there!”

It has come to my attention that men with beards and tattoos are the ‘in’ thing at the moment, so i thought we should have a look at some of these rather dashing men with an accompanying ramble from moi.
Lets start with the tattooed part. Men with tattoos have long been a favourite of mine (excluding those with tribal tattoos or dragons and the such like (not that there’s anything particularly wrong with this, I just dont like them personally)). I guess I have always gone for the ‘alternative’ look favouring boys in skinny jeans with long fringes and lip piercings when i was younger. And now favouring men with skinny jeans, more quiff like hair and lip piercings now. I’m not really sure what it is about the tattooed look that drives women wild…perhaps its the essence of a ‘bad boy image’. All I know is that i am particularly more drawn to a guy with tattoos than without.
Then theres the mustache. I have been an admirier of a good curly mustache for many years as a devoted fan of Poirot, my favourite Belgian detective. The 1920/30/40s eras are some of my very favourites too, so any men that have an air of these decdes about them instantly has my attention. I LOVE A DANDY. love love love them. I wish, (and you would have thought living in Brighton would allow this to be fulfilled more often) that there were more Dandies out in the streets with their perfectly quaffed mustaches, top hats and canes.

This, therefore, leads us to the beards. Up until recently I wasn’t as attracted by guys with beards as much as tattoos and or mustaches, although Tom Hardy can come however he bloody well likes in my opinion. But alas, one day I was sat at work talking with the girls from the nail bar and the tattoo studio (yes, we have it all – Needles and Nails, Brighton) when a certain Chris John Millington was introduced to my life. The man is GORGEOUS. I was aware of Ricki Hall, and found him to be attractive (probably more because of the skinnies and tattoos) but Chris Millington was on another level. Plus, hes Scottish and I have always had a soft spot for a Scottish accent. So, if you are unaware, Chris Millington and Ricki Hall are both fashion models, who have beautiful bearded and/or tattooed model friends. Billy Huxley, Lee Beaumont and Joshua Williams are just a few lovely men you should check out if any of the aforementioned attributes interest you.
1-3: Chris John Millington (instagram: chrisjohnmillington/ twitter: @chrisjohnmilly)
4-6: Ricki Hall (Instagram: rickifuckinhall/ twitter: @rickifuckinhall)
7-9: Billy Huxley (Instagram: billyhuxley/ twitter: @billyhuxley)

P.s. If anyone has any bearded beauties I should check out, please tell me in the comments.

 

(I do not own these photos)