October Favourites

Another month gone! Even though it feels far away, I'm starting to get excited about Christmas! It's still way too early for Christmas songs though, maybe in a week or two...

My Reading Habits // Tag

I've never done a tag before on this blog, so I thought I'd start with a book tag. As an English graduate, I quite obviously love reading. However, it took me quite a long time to get back into it - after 3 years of nothing but university books, my brain had kind of turned to mush! But this year I have challenged myself to read 25 books, and I'm almost there!

Blog Sale Shopping

I had an itch to buy Mac. I'd been umming and ahhing, adding stuff to my basket and taking it out again. Then, whilst mooching around on Twitter, I spotted Laura's (beautyloversnotes) blog sale. Mac lipsticks for £3 and £5? Yes please!

The Naked Choir: The Sons of Pitches

I might be a little bit biased on this one (one of my besties is a SoP wag; am under strict instructions to share share share), but last night The Sons of Pitches killed it!

I am quite partial to a bit of Kate Bush, so last week's Wuthering Heights was right up my street. However considering that 'MMMBop in 10 Genres' was arranged and recorded in just one week (including the video), mad props to SoP!

I'm not usually one for Gareth Malone tv shows, but I really have loved this series. Pitch Perfect much?

Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick: Beehive

For many years, Revlon's Lip Butter in Peach Parfait has been my trusty 'on the go' companion. It's finally starting to run out, but I didn't want to repurchase because I have a few problems with it - it's sticky (constantly getting my hair stuck in it) and the glitter feels grainy. Now that might just be because I've had it for three years now but either way, I wanted a change.

That's where Beehive steps in.

Vintage Finds: Lucy & the Caterpillar Vintage Boutique

I know I go on about it a lot, but back in August I traveled to Iceland. I longed for an Icelandic jumper, but they were way too expensive for me.

Fast forward to October, and I'm mooching around Hebden Bridge with my boyfriend. I'd spotted the sign for a 'vintage boutique' before, but this time I finally decided to follow it and go inside.
I'm so glad I did. A vintage Handknitting Association of Iceland jumper (a shop that I actually went into whilst I was in Reykjavik) for £25! I just couldn't leave it behind; I had to have it in my life. And luckily, it fit!

It's a little bit short on the arms for me, which I'm actually quite happy about because I'm always rolling my sleeves up anyway. It's handknitted from Icelandic 'lopi' yarn, meaning it is lovely and warm. My Christmas jumper for 2015?

As for the shop - Lucy & the Caterpillar Vintage Boutique is amazing. It's a Aladdin's cave of vintage finds, and at affordable prices. It's inside an old mill building (upstairs from the Innovation cafe and gift shop); she also has her own clothing range, I am Lucille, which you can find on Etsy. I hope my boyfriend doesn't mind, because I'll be insisting that we go there every time I visit him from now on!

Nadiya: Queen of the Bake Off

So if you're British you'll of course know that The Great British Bake Off final was last night. And my favourite contestant, Nadiya, won!

But there was something Nadiya said that struck me quite hard:

"I am never, ever going to put boundaries on myself ever again. I'm never going to say 'I can't do it.'

I'm never going to say, 'maybe.'

I'm never going to say 'I don't think I can.'

I can and I will."

I know this is a show about baking, and I know it sounds silly, but her words are important. As someone with trouble managing her anxiety, I'm always saying "I can't do it" (often whilst crying down the phone to my mum/boyfriend). But through all the sobbing and doubting myself, I have it in me to accomplish what I set out to do. Yeah, my quest isn't to win a baking competition, but I still need to believe in myself. I need to believe that I can do things on my own without panicking. I'm not going to go out tomorrow and go into town alone then get a long distance train somewhere, but that doesn't mean I never will. There is no maybe; I will be able to do it.

And that's why we have to listen to Nadiya's words.

You can do it, you can and you will.