Post Exam Serenity

Hi everyone! I've been a busy bee this weekend, want to hear what I've been up to?

Friday
Final exam was over by half 11 so it was straight to a new bar in Coventry (The Establishment) for a Pimms with my coursemates on the decking. Then it was home for a cool pint of cider in the garden with my housemates. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of Friday or our night out later on, but here's the dress I wore. Didn't even get an outfit pic I'm afraid!

 Miss Selfridge Dress - £4.99, BHF

I love the bow detailing on the back!

Saturday
Naturally I was feeling a bit worse for wear Saturday morning so we spent the day in the park eating ice cream and chatting.

Sunday
I packed up my life and moved back to Surrey yesterday! I'm back home until the end of September it's crazy. I spent the afternoon in the pub with my mum and stepdad - my mum had to go collect her cheque for £1000 she won in the pub's prize draw! She's spending the winnings on a new kitchen, which is pretty exciting.

I also forgot I'd had lots of packages delivered home instead of Cov so I had some nice things to come back to...

I am undecided if this is amazing or really tacky. Currently love it haha!

This is for my Peruvian adventure which starts in just over two weeks.

How gorgeous is this resin bangle? It's handmade and is made from real dried flowers!

My mum went to Russia a few weeks back and bought me some treats...

Duty-free purchase of Mac's 'Please Me' lipstick

So cute!

Enough from me, I'm currently in the garden writing this, my brother and I have set up a long line for extension cables so we can do all our computer stuff without being trapped inside! I have an exciting day ahead - sorting travel insurance for Peru, trying to apply for more NGO volunteer placements and looking for a Lake District cottage for September's potential holiday with Hugh. Has anyone got any cheap recommendations for cottages in the lakes? We went last summer, we can't wait to go back.

A few memories!

This week's been pretty busy - I've finished up my placement at the council until October, been revising like mad for Friday's final exam and been trying to find myself some volunteer work with an NGO this summer! I'm too busy enjoying the sunshine with my ice cream to really write much more, so I'll leave you with a selection of photos from my phone from the last six months...

December 2011...

 Birmingham German Market (mulled wine mm)

 My new lampshade!

My mum repainted my room as a birthday surprise. Complete with a bargain wardrobe from ebay!

January 2012...

 Baking cake for my housemate whilst she revises

 Hugh and I celebrating my stepdad's Madness themed-birthday

February...

 A snowy Coventry

 Making mug cakes with my housemate.

 Mini coffee cakes for my hosuemates birthday

 A spur of the moment decision to go and see Snow Patrol (great choice).

Messing about with my grandad's hair (he loves it really)

March...

 Maternal mortaility map for International Women's Day (made by me!)

 ...Only in Coventry

A gorgeous day on my geography field trip to Dorest (this is Durdledoor).

April...

 Sickly but delicious.

 Double rainbow - the view from home!

The worst attempt at hiding a parcel...

 Regular night out with the work girls.

 My dad found me a snail!

Reminiscing old memories of my late friend Stevie (centre) x 

May...

 Revising in the sun,

I hope you've all had a chance to sit in the sun today! I'm off for a glass of Pimm's at the pub and then off to see American Pie later tonight.

A Visit to Leamington

Happy Saturday!

Had a hectic day yesterday - had two exams which has drained me of energy! After a good night's sleep I decided this morning I'd visit Leamington Spa. Despite it only be a 10 minute train journey, I had never visited before. So armed with Google Maps directions and list of charity shops off I went!

Sadly I didn't find much in the charity shops - many were just full of overpriced Primark (I'm looking at you BHF and Oxfam!) However, as I approached the lesser known charity shops, I found a few gems...

99p!

You can't see in these pictures, but I loved the way these dainty earrings catch the light. Both the posts and the backs have a silvermark on them. Good thing too as I'm allergic to everything but silver.

RSPCA - £3

Now this purchase may seem a little childish, but I adored Winnie the Pooh all through my childhood and I still do! I bought this audio cd set because I'm off travelling in Peru next month and could do with something to keep me entertained on long bus journeys and the like.

£4.99

I bought this coat from the same place as the earrings, although I can't remember what the name of the shop was! I know it's May, but last year I bought a winter coat at a carboot in August for £1 and it saw me through all of last winter. Although a few pounds more than last year's, how could I resist the lovely spotty print? I was so excited at wanting this, I forgot to show them my NUS card for 10% student discount! Gutted! But, a charity shop that offers student discount? What a brilliant way to get more of us students shopping second hand. Not that I need more of an incentive!

Topshop - £18 (with 10% NUS)

I exchanged a top that didn't suit me for this simple Topshop dress. I'm out with the Oxfam gang for celebrations of a successful first year as a society tomorrow lunchtime so I might wear this.

These sweets were probably too expensive for what they are, but I bought them for my brother, who's busy studying hard for his A-levels so I thought I'd give him these when I move home next weekend. We used to have these as kids, shame they don't sell them so much now!

Grabbed these for myself when I got to the till. They are no more!

Well, after all that walking, exploring and shopping I simply had to find something to eat, which is when I came across The Cakery... The lady who served me suggested I buy a red velvet cupcake - what a good choice!

I also sampled some of their birthday cake. That was equally good!

Sadly, Leamington was pretty gloomy today and all the pictures of the lovely buildings I took reflect that... So I'll have to go back soon and visit more places to show you!

Hope you are all having wonderful weekends, what plans do you have? I'm having another relaxed one as I still have one exam left next week. Home alone tonight so I'm cooking up a huge lamb and vegetable back and watching X-Men First Class on dvd.

More Purchases!

I'm scheduling this post for Wednesday evening as I'll be at my Spanish evening class! I hope this works.

I've had a pretty rubbish week so far. Monday we got a gas bill through telling us we owed money! I'm very frugal with heating, so it's pretty certain that someone else in the house has been fiddling our boiler. Then today my landlady said she'd be charging us for capret damage in communal areas (there is NONE) but not all of the house would be charged; she said she'd left off my housemate because she had the smallest room. And I didn't go down without a fight.

Ready to see what else I've been buying to get me through the revision blues?

BHF - £3

I'm not sure if this is a second hand necklace, or one from the BHF's own stash of goodies. Either way I love it. Coincidently I was revision about enclosure (although the agricultural kind) when I took this, very fitting!

Dress/tunic, Republic - £22
Cardi, (H&M) RSPCA - £2.49

I instantly fell in love with this print and knew this had to be mine. It's a little too short to wear as a dress, but nothing a pair of shorts or leggings can't sort out.

With my new placement came some new clothes. I'm not one for dreary office wear - the thought of a drab suit or blouse makes me not want to work! I've realised now I've left a few items at home, so they'll have to be seen in a later post.

Blouse, Miss Selfridge - £35

Blazer, New Look - £27

I also bought a bracelet from this etsy store. I made a little money off ebay a few weeks back selling some old clothes to make room for lovely new treasures like these! I'll show you the bracelet in all its glory when it arrives. Already now considering buying a second. Only fair, right?Hopefully by the time you read this, I'll be out of my Spanish class and into the pub! Good evening to all.

It's All Sustainable

Firstly thanks for all your well wishes towards my exams! Not feeling too stressed for now...

Watched We Need to Talk About Kevin last night. I kind of knew what was going to happen because my mum read it a while ago. Although it will probably give me nightmares, I did enjoy it! I think had I not known about the ending it would have made really good watching.

Today has consisted of making a mess of my room/workspace (aka revision) and going on placement! Would you like to know more?

Always looking like a glamour puss.

I volunteer for a few hours each week in Coventry City Council's Sustainability Services. Whilst taking a placement year would be expensive and at this point useless because I'm not sure what I'll be when I grow up, this was the perfect way to get experience and not have to use all my savings to support myself!

There's about six volunteers on our floor in the department and we all work on different projects. My project is Fairtrade. Coventry was granted Fairtrade City status in 2004 and now this award is up for renewal. Part of my job is to get started on this renewal, and restart the Fairtrade Steering Group that the city once had; a key part of the status.

I've been round the city chatting to businesses about selling Fairtrade, hoping to get people more excited about the renewal and more involved but it's been a mixed bag of opinions! Some seem very keen whilst others couldn't wait to get me out the door! 

Incidentally, working with the council has now become a major focal point for my dissertation. Basically this opportunity is win win all round! Here's what I've been working on today...

My ad to get people interested in our steering group

Enjoy your evenings, I'm going to polish off the last of my coffee cake and curl up with Johnny Cash's autobiography.

Revision Treats

I've been working myself crazy since February for these exams, so obviously I've needed a bit of shopping (charity and otherwise) to help lift my spirits! Today I'm sharing with you a few bits I bought from the highstreet...

Miss Selfridge - £52

Been need a 'leather' jacket for a while now. I had my old bomber for around five years, and it was wearing out so I decided to invest for hopefully another five years in this! And seeing as the weather has been crazy recently, it's justifiable to be buying a coat in May.

Accessorize - £5

I find Accessorize a bit hit and miss at the moment, but I loved this dainty dragonfly. It's on a long chain too which I find it a lot easier to wear than if it had a short one.

Silvery Lilac (L) and Spring Green (R), £2.99 each.

Ahh Barry M, my favourite nail polish! I haven't tried out the Silvery Lilac yet, but I've had my eye on Spring Green for a while now, but I couldn't justify having another green nail varnish (I have about six...) Here's what it looks like, I managed to get them painted in a long revision break...

Rings - Bath Christmas Market and inherited.

This weekend has been a pretty chilled one. Can't really do much until exams are over but still had time to make our house this coffee and walnut cake. I use this Mary Berry recipe, which always calls for far too much icing, but that's ok with me! This was made last night - I can safely say that this cake tastes far nicer warm.

As you can see, the cake was a little warm when the icing was put on, so a lot did slip down the sides of the cake. More icing all over!

I had a lovely time at Thursday's awards evening, I was one of three nominees for Community Volunteer of the Year award. Although I didn't win I was selected from over 1,400 volunteers at the university, so to be shortlisted was such an honour. I'm an active member of the university's Oxfam society, and I also volunteer at Coventry City Council 3/4 hours a week in Sustainability Services!

Hope your weekend were good, get up to anything exciting? I'm rounding mine off by going for a run, mileage is dependant on how my knee feels, then my housemate has been leant We Need to Talk About Kevin so think we'll be watching that.