Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

(image: Pinterest)

Two leaving dos, three last days and countless goodbye hugs later and I've finally left my job. I've spent the last three years in a job I absolutely love, helping teenage cancer patients to stay engaged with education during their treatment.  Although I technically finished my job at the end of August, I was asked to come back last week, challenged with the task of handing over my job and everything that went with it to my replacement. It was so strange to be introducing somebody else to all the families I've spent so long working with and saying "as of next week, this is who you'll need to speak to instead of me", there's a part of me that is itching to phone up the office and check that she's remembered to speak to so and so about what we discussed last week, or to ask her to check with such and such's school about the whatdyamacallit. I've never been in a position where I've left a job I truly cared about before, and it has made me strangely protective of it. 

I'm trying really hard to put my slightly obsessive attitude towards my old job to one side and let the new girl have her new beginning there in peace, whilst in the meantime I focus on my own new start. This week I've got my induction and registration day for my PGCE and in a few weeks I'll be let loose in front of gaggles of secondary school students whilst I try and teach them English. To say I'm scared is an understatement, but I'm also incredibly excited. I've gone from a job where I felt like an expert, and suddenly I'm at the bottom of the ladder again. But actually, that's not a bad thing at all, I'm excited to challenge myself, learn lots of new skills and become an expert in something new.

So here we go. Teaching, I'M READY FOR YA.

(If somebody could remind me of this positivity in a month or so when I'm drowning under piles of lesson plans and marking it'd be very much appreciated...)

Don't Stop- Fleetwood Mac

If I could, baby I'd give you my world

After a lazy day on Saturday, my housemate and I decided that we needed to at least pretend to do something on Sunday. Originally, we'd had high hopes to go on an adventure on our rare weekend of being in Leeds hangover free, however the weather wasn't really on our side for a full blown outdoorsy day. 

Instead, we decided to take the scenic route into town along the canal. I haven't been down there since I moved out of my flat in town last summer so it was nice to get a bit nostalgic and revisit it. Plus, the rain kindly held off until we'd almost reached the shops, by which point we were too busy buying every remaining item in the sales to care (post New Year is the only time I can cope with going anywhere near the sale rails as all the scary shoppers have bankrupted themselves by then!).

shirt: Topshop, jacket: Topshop, scarf: Topshop, jeans: Topshop, boots: Topshop, hat: H&M, gloves: Accessorize

So, I joined the masses last week and bought one of those furry denim jackets in Topshop. And, seriously, its the best thing I've bought in months (although a small part of me wishes it had a lining in the arms too... then it really would be the best thing in the world and I'd probably only take it off to wear my new koala onesie...). 

I feel a bit like Topshop threw up on me when I look at this outfit, but I'm not sure that's such a bad thing really. Its the first time in ages I've found clothes I actually like in there so I'm going to bloomin' well embrace it.

Go Your Own Way: Fleetwood Mac

Players only love you when they're playing

When I took a trip back home to The Wirral last weekend we decided to head out in the other direction to our usual wanderings around Liverpool. Back when I was a little un, Chester was always our choice of destination for weekend afternoons and usually involved some sort of farcical mayhem of me getting changed out of my gymnastics kit in the back seat of the car on the way (no idea why I didn't just get changed in the sports centre like a normal child, I think I just liked a challenge). 

Anyway, Chester is one of the prettiest cities going. I've always taken it for granted a little and tend not to look up at the gorgeous buildings or pay too much attention to what you can see from the walls around the city. We stopped coming to Chester as often when Liverpool became incredible for shopping (Mama T always liked the novelty of visiting Debenham's in Chester before Liverpool thought it would be a good idea to get one too), but really they're absolutely poles apart as far as what they have to offer outside the shops goes. Liverpool is king in elaborate buildings built upon the city's shipping wealth, a vibrant waterfront and a Beatles reference at almost every turn. Chester meanwhile is full of wonky medieval buildings, a huge Roman wall wrapped around the whole city and a sleepy little waterfront complete with pedalos and rowing boats. Both cities are packed full of charm, but couldn't be any more different from each other if they tried (although they do both have a Debenham's...).

Dreams- Fleetwood Mac

Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise

Lisette who writes a delightful little blog over at Lisette Loves coined a great little expression, NPA (nosy people's anonymous), in her post earlier today. Doesn't that sum up the world of blogging so well? We're all guilty of enjoying a sneaky little peek into other people's lives, so on that theme I thought I'd give you a look at some of the birthday presents my lovely friends gave me. They know me too well, and know how excited I get about new homey bits and bobs and so I was over the moon when I had the pleasure of unwrapping all of these beauties over the weekend. 

1. A girl can never have too many moustaches. They're a symbol of fun times during my uni days and will always make me smile.

2. Brownies in a jar- such a great idea... I'm dying to make them but can't bring myself to yet because the jar looks far too pretty! 

3. Wise, wise words. A very fitting gift for the girl who just forwent a trip to the gym in favour of coming home and eating approximately 1000 malteasers.

4. A frame made of a map of Merseyside to remind me of home. I decided Mama and Papa T were the most deserving people to be put in this frame. 

5. An incredible cushion in the same fabric as the basket and frame I posted about here. I'm loving having a few matchy matchy bits in amongst all of the other fabrics and colours in my room.

So there you have it fellow NPA's... a little insight into how lovely my friends are. I got some other fab bits and bobs too which I'm sure will appear as part of outfit posts and other things soon!

The Chain- Fleetwood Mac