Make Yourself

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

It's the final countdown...

It really is the final countdown. Two weeks until term starts and then I'm a 'proper' teacher. I'm actually responsible for educating young people. I've been trying desperately not to freak out or get stressed unnecessarily but as term approaches, I'm starting to feel like a big wall of work is going to hit me in the face and I will be really unprepared for it.

I went into school today to see a few of my colleagues, talk about the start of term and have a look at my classroom. It's still a bit of a mess from the last teacher but I'm hoping once I've jazzed it up a bit it will look really welcoming and fun. The English area was built in the 1930's so the heating and windows are not fantastically reliable... I think I'll be stocking up on jumpers and I may even have to become an official tea drinker to keep me warm.

I've always been a big fan of green tea and end up buying tons of it from Whittards just incase I might run out. Normal tea never really appealed to me and I'm not one of those people who needs a tea or coffee before they can get on with their day but recently I have joined the normal tea bunch and even had tea this morning with breakfast.

Milk, one sugar please.

HOME SWEET HOME #1

Day Two in the new house and I'm on the internet and blogging already. After settling all my stuff in and having some of the girls round for takeaway, wine and films, I'm starting to feel more like this is my home. The thing about a new house is, you always want to make your own mark on it. It's decorated in neutral tones (beiges, browns and light blue) with John Lewis furnishings. My housemate works there, hence the good taste in decoration. It looks a bit like a show home and I'm scared to eat or drink anything that may stain the carpet when I inevitably fall over or smash something.

My own decorating taste is probably a bit more eclectic and kitsch than most people as I like having lots of trinkets and cute retro bits around the house. I'm sure when I have my own place I will be able to fill it full of exciting little things but for now I am satisfying myself with prowling homeware stores. Today's choice was TK Maxx. I know it's not really thought of as a homeware store but a short trip down the escalator proved otherwise. I must have spent two hours in there looking at all the beautiful bits and pieces on display. I was half filled with wonder, half confusion as I tried to figure out what most of the kitchen gadgets were for.

One of my 'big' plans is to learn how to bake this year and I'm pretty sure I'll be stocking up on cookie cutters from TK Maxx. There were so many different types, I think I will have to buy them all! Animal shapes, numbers, stars, flowers, hearts. Oh the possibilities in the baking world!

Anyway, I thought I would show you a few of the stunners I stumbled across:

These images definitely don't do the shop justice and I would really advise that you go into a TK Maxx yourself to have a look around because there are so many more interesting and different items in the shop!

I'll be saving up for a spree while I dream about having one of these places...

Saturday, 21 August 2010

BOOKWORM #1

I had a few hours to spare today so decided I would finally venture into the Oxfam Bookshop in town. I only had two pounds with me so decided I would make it my mission to find a really good book for a low price. I spent a good 45 minutes in there looking at all the books, music and collectable items. There was a Haruki Murakami collectable in there which I spent ten minutes staring at with my mouth wide open. If you haven't read Murakami then I would really recommend his books. Here's an excerpt from Norwegian Wood:

'Eighteen years have gone by, and still I can bring back every detail of that day in the meadow. Washed clean of summer's dust by days of gentle rain, the mountains wore a deep, brilliant green. The October breeze set white fronds of head-tall grasses swaying. One long streak of cloud hung pasted across a dome of frozen blue. It almost hurt to look at that faroff sky. A puff of wind swept across the meadow and through her hair before it slipped into the woods to rustle branches and send back snatches of distant barking-a hazy sound that seemed to reach us from the doorway to another world. We heard no other sounds. We met no other people. We saw only two bright, red birds leap startled from the center of the meadow and dart into the woods. As we ambled along, Naoko spoke to me of wells.'

Anyway, there I was looking through all of these books and Goodnight Mister Tom popped out at me from a shelf. Literally. I knocked it off and decided I would pick that one. So far, so good.

Thursday, 19 August 2010

FASHION FIX MENS #1

Yummy.

There is a reason David Beckham is adorning my blog today and it's not purely because I'm a little bit in love with him. A friend of mine asked when I would be looking at men's fashion in my blog so I thought I'd equip myself with the necessary tools (mainly Mr Beckham and my eye for a nice garment or two).

Beckham is well known for some horrendous fashion errors... who can forget the sarong, the tiny pants worn on board a boat and the various dodgy hairstyles?

Incase you have forgotten, these may jog your memory (whether you want to or not):

I don't care how fit your body is, those pants are just not acceptable.

But my point is, no matter how attractive someone is, they can still make many mistakes trying to get it right. He had to experiment for a long time until he found his own style.

I love the cool, laid back style he is sporting nowadays with a few added wrinkles round his face and the sleeve of tattoos. Absolute perfection.

Beckham favours beanie hats, aviators, baggy jeans, t shirts and checked shirts on his off days but steps it up to include crisp white shirts and well tailored suits when he needs to go to an event. Neither of these looks have to be expensive or difficult to put together.

Here's my own twist on Beckham's day off style: