I go crazy cos here isn't where I wanna be

I've had a pretty decent week as far as working weeks go... although that may be because my *ahem* working week was only one day long. Don't get me wrong, I bloomin' love my job, but its the best feeling in the world knowing you've got a few days of freedom ahead. I spent the start of the week at home catching up with my friends (including a trip to an awesome wedding cake shop with my friend who's getting married this year!) and family. My Dad and I spent some quality time together on a photography course which was run through Jessops in Manchester, I wasn't sure what to expect but I was really impressed... the guy made a real effort to find out what we all wanted to develop our skills in and made sure that we didn't leave without the right advice. I feel like I learnt a few tricks to make the most out of the billions of settings my SLR has which I probably wouldn't have got to grips with by just reading a book about it. 

Today I took a trip into town and ended up having an impromptu lunch date with my friend Coral as I'd popped into her work to say hello just as she was being told she could take her break. Perfect timing. We couldn't have planned it better if we'd tried.

Anyway, I ended up wearing my new favourite top (how is it that sometimes you can fall massively in love with the simplest, most unexciting items of clothing?!) for about the 3rd time this week today (thank god for Mama T and her superhuman talents with the washing machine) along with my absolute bargain of a skirt from New Look. I think I paid a tenner for it back in January but they've reduced them down to £7 now... I'm contemplating filling my whole wardrobe with them at that price!

top: Topshop, skirt: New Look, boots: Topshop, socks: Primark, necklaces: Topshop/ Kukee, watch: Urban Outfitters

Anyway, I'm off to get excited that there's still a whole weekend left before Monday rolls around again. Can I just work one day a week every week please?!

R U Mine?- Arctic Monkeys

(In honour of their awesome performance and Alex Turner's hilariously cringey rambling speech at the Brits)

2013 in music

If you're a regular visitor to Sunshine Days, you'll be fully aware that music plays a mahoosive part in my life. Looking back, I've been to some bloomin' brilliant gigs this year (above is a little snapshot with some rubbish quality photos... I'm far too busy actually enjoying the music at gigs to watch it through my phone screen!) from little gigs like The Family Rain who played the Brudenell Social Club to a mammoth expedition down to Suffolk for a weekend of fun and vodka at Latitude. Other highlights included HAIM, an Old Skool Cribs gig a few weeks back and stumbling upon a tiny Pigeon Detectives set in Leeds Trinity and ending up on the front row (even though we don't really like them all that much...). 

While I'm thinking about music of 2013, I thought I'd put together a list of my top tracks of the year. I did this back at the end of 2012 too and its a great way to look back and remember songs from a particular time in your life! Last year I narrowed the list down to five songs, this year I just couldn't whittle it down to any less than ten. Miss Indecisive 2013 right here.

Why'd you only call me when you're high? Arctic Monkeys

My Number Foals

 The Wire HAIM

Lovesick Peace

 Hearts Like Ours The Naked and Famous

Biblical Biffy Clyro

 Trust Me... I'm a Genius The Family Rain

Wasting My Young Years London Grammar

Best of Friends Palma Violets

Youth Daughter

What have been your favourite songs of the year? Hope you've enjoyed some of my top ten too!

Roll on 2014- its already shaping up to be a good one for me music-wise... so far I've got tickets for Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and *ahem* McBusted (not ruining my indie street cred at all there...).

Also, for once I've not used song lyrics in my post title- yet more proof of how indecisive I am... I couldn't pick one of the 10 songs above as the most worthy of the title! I was discussing with my friends the other day that I really should get an app or something that will make all life decisions for me!

Arabella's got a 70's head

Last week, I took a trip down memory lane and spent a week at my old school for a bit of mainstream work experience to help boost my PGCE application. I had a great little week and was amazingly not put off becoming a teacher despite witnessing the teachers' mass hysteria at the impending threat of ofsted and lesson observations in the staff room every day. 

Aside from using my degree for a real purpose (there's a first time for everything...) by explaining lots of English Languagey things to the A-level groups and being told I'd make a great teacher by some year 9 girls (I complimented one of them on her crazy collection of stationary, not sure whether that makes me an outstanding teacher or just a stationary nerd but she seemed impressed regardless), one of the highlights of the week was getting to spend a week looking at the little trends and styles the kids had. 

Back in my school days it was socially unacceptable to carry your books in anything other than Jane Norman and Kookai school bags, having absolutely poker straight hair to the point where you could practically hold a spirit level against it was an absolute necessity and every teenager needed to be seen wearing so many charity wristbands that they looked as saintly as Mother Teresa. 

The kids in school this time around were mostly wearing Kickers, there was always at least one pair of Ray Bans being sported in every classroom and the school bag of choice was a brightly coloured satchel. Looking around, the world seems to be breeding an army of mini-hipsters, but actually I thought that was pretty cool. The kids that were considered 'cool' back in my school days were generally the chavvy girls with tonnes of orange make-up and Lacoste trainers for PE and people unconsciously seemed to follow their choices of horrific shoes and school bags, now it seems the kids that set the trends have a totally different outlook on style and their inspiration and I just loved seeing it. 

People seem to think kids are growing up far quicker as the years go by, and in a lot of ways that probably is true. Despite this, what I actually saw last week was a school full of kids who were acting their own age, not trying to look older by plastering themselves in make up, and cool points being given to the kids who were happy to look 'cute' and a bit 'quirky' rather than 'sexy' and (lets face it) 'slaggy' as seemed to be the case back when I was in school. 

I couldn't decide on an image to finish off my ramblings with, so ended up delving back into the archives and finding a picture of mini-Kaz and co from when I was in Year 11. I have a feeling that if I put my old uniform on again now I wouldn't look much older than I do on this picture...

Arabella- Arctic Monkeys

When the zeros line up on the 24 hour clock

I realised a few days ago that there's something I've not been doing on my blog for absolutely ages- my old smiles of the week posts. I like looking back at the little things that have made the week special, and thought this would be the perfect sort of week for doing that as it started off as one of those weeks where I was pretty bloomin' grumpy for no real reason and needed to give myself a bit of a kick up the bum to bring myself back to my usual jolly self. And actually, I proved my Monday morning self wrong and I've had a pretty jam-packed week with lots of highlights. So, just in case grumpy Kaz makes another appearance when Monday rolls around again, I've put this together as a little reminder that the week always gets better once that first wake-up of the week is out of the way. 

Being invited to a weekend away organised for the kids I work with. Its a huge event that's organised by the Teenage Cancer Trust and I'm so excited to be part of it.

Going along to the University open day to ask a few questions about PGCE courses. I had a really reassuring chat with somebody in the department and came away feeling a lot happier that I'm making the right choices.

Having a catch up with one of my friends and getting overly involved in watching GBBO together. Plus its reassuring to discover that the unnecessary hatred my house is harbouring against Ruby is felt by other people too!

Peeking at all of the new season stock at Joy in Leeds with my friends (and getting a cheeky free goody bag and glass of champagne too!).

Watching The Perks Of Being A Wallflower at long last. I read the book ages and ages ago, missed seeing the film at the cinema and then bought the DVD about a month ago but didn't quite get around to watching it for ages. A few of us had a DVD night on Friday to watch it, and I was so impressed! I thought it could be quite difficult to translate the book into a decent film, but it was done so well (aside from Emma Watson's questionable accent). 

Taking a trip to Manchester last night for a barbecue and a night out. Sprinting onto the dancefloor when our signature song, Babies by Pulp, was played was a definite highlight. 

Managing to have a fairly productive and hangover free day today despite having accidentally drunk a whole bottle of wine before 8pm last night. 

Plotting next weekend's shenanigans with one of my besties tonight (even more reason to be excited and not grumpy about the week ahead!). 

The new Arctic Monkeys album. Need I say any more?!

Knee Socks- Arctic Monkeys

It's three in the morning and I'm trying to change your mind

I think I deserve an award for managing to tear myself away from eating samples of homemade pop-tarts (made by Cupcake Cafe in Leeds) long enough to give my blog a little attention. This weekend has been a bit of a crazy one. Aside from acquiring lots of cake, pop tarts and moustache biscuits after Iron Cupcake Leeds and also having a baking disaster when I tried to enter the competition myself (I'm trying to erase that part of the weekend from my memory- it caused me far too much distress!) I've just been hanging with my friends which has been looovely. We had a house night out on Friday with a few friends to a Rock and Roll night in Leeds which was great fun and one of those nights where I spent half of the time stood at the DJ booth requesting songs (all of which actually got played so top marks to him for that... usually DJs just roll their eyes at me when I start dictating what they should play!). 

Speaking of music... the new Arctic Monkeys song has been played about 6000 times in our household this weekend and I've spent the last few days wandering about singing "why'd you only call me when you're high?". I realised today that although that may be appropriate behaviour in the comfort of my own home, it doesn't quite have the same effect when I sing it at work. Whoops.

dress: c/o Clothing at Tesco, jacket: Republic, shoes: Topshop, socks: Primark

Anyway, this is one of my new favourite items in my wardrobe. I've been trying on so many dresses lately and all to often find myself wishing that smocks didn't make me look like an 8 man tent. I've decided that sticking to ever so slightly baggy skater dresses is more my way of doing things.

Why'd you only call me when you're high?: Arctic Monkeys

Sing along and it might just get you through

Since moving out of the city centre at the start of July, I've been very much enjoying having a longer walk to work in the mornings. Not so much on days where I've spent ages just sat on my bed listening to the radio, or have been too busy rearranging my bedroom to bother with getting dressed quickly and end up having to power walk up the huge hill on my route, but the rest of the time my walks have been far more relaxed and an ideal time for quality time with my iPod. Few things make me happier than when I'm listening to music, and listening to new favourites (and old favourites too... I have an unwritten rule that I have to reserve one morning walk a week for a bit of Pulp!) is the perfect way to put myself in a good mood for the day. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few songs that have been creeping their way up my most played list since I started my new walk to work.

Do I wanna know? Arctic Monkeys

I always try to maintain that I'm not a big fan of the Arctic Monkeys (I think I like to see myself as a little less mainstream indie than that, unless I've had copious amounts of vodka...) but this song slipped right through and caught me by surprise. I've not been able to get this song out of my head for almost two months now, and I'm not in the slightest bit ashamed to have it blaring out of my headphones.

Beach San Cisco

I've fallen head over heels in love with this band. They're from Australia, they're really summery and fun, plus they've done an awesome cover of Daft Punk's Get Lucky (if that doesn't make you love them then I don't know what will).

Pushing it The Family Rain

One of my only regrets from Latitude was not getting to see The Family Rain. I knew I really wanted to but Eddie Izzard was just too funny to leave (plus leaving was impossible as there were so many people crowded into the tent), his set over-ran plus the Comedy arena was the opposite side of the site to the little stage that The Family Rain were playing on. The odds weren't in our favour really. They're playing in Leeds in a few months time so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get to see them then instead.

Lovesick Peace

Peace are a band that I literally haven't been able to stop talking about for over a year now. I waited patiently for their album to come out in March and I just haven't tired of it at all. Its not everyday you find an album like that. Lovesick is one of my favourites from the album so if you ever caught sight of me walking through Leeds, there's a very high chance that this'll be this song that I've got playing. 

Let me know if you like any of the songs I've included in this, and if you've got any recommendations of songs I can update my iPod with to vary my morning routine a little then let me know! 

Common People- Pulp

There's this tune I've found that makes me think of you somehow

On Thursday I felt like a kid in a sweet shop (actually scrap that... I'm usually more excited in a sweet shop than any child could ever be) after getting two films worth of photos developed in Boots. My fish eye camera has been on some great little adventures in the last few months- Liverpool, Latitude, Leeds (apparently I only like places beginning with an L) to name just a few. My little pink lomography camera even got turned into a birthday cake a few months back as you may have already seen back here. 

Anyway, here's a few snaps from the huge pile I'm currently sat around trying to shortlist for my new photo frame. As soon as I'd ripped open the envelopes after picking up my prints I raced straight to Wilko's to buy the biggest frame possible to display all of my snaps in (laughing all the way there at some of the more drunken photos amongst the lot- I decided to save you the trauma of having to see those!).

If you enjoy playing around with lomography cameras then link me up- I love being nosy at other people's snaps!

Do I wanna know- Arctic Monkeys