Well I wish it could be Christmas everyday

After a busy day of Christmas shopping in York last Saturday, I wanted something a little calmer on Sunday. It was the first time my housemate and I had been around on a Sunday together and not been suffering from dramatic hangovers so we decided to take a little trip out of Leeds to Harrogate. One of the families I work with suggested a visit to Harrogate as last weekend was the Christmas Market, I'm so glad I listened to them as it was the perfect way to spend December 1st!

The market was huge and there was tonnes of food on offer (and oodles of cheese to sample... always a bonus as far as I'm concerned!). Plus, there were some reindeer outside Santa's grotto, you can't get more festive than that!

Although there were a lot of people around, it didn't feel hectic or busy like most places do around this time of year, and even better, the town centre itself was blissfully calm (I've never seen a Primark like it- there were only two tills open on the womenswear floor and there still wasn't a queue... I know where I'm heading for my Primark sprees from now on!). 

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday- Wizzard

Why couldn't we save you?

Much to my surprise, I've come to realise that I'm actually pretty excited for winter. I've made best friends with my favourite bobble hat again, today I bought myself a new Christmas jumper and I've forced everybody into picking their Secret Santa at work (although on that subject I have no idea what to buy for the person I've pulled out so am now kicking myself for starting the whole present buying process in the first place). 

I'm trying to expand my winter wardrobe by wearing my dresses from the summer layered up under shirts and big wooly jumpers to attempt to save a bit of money before all my money starts being spent on numerous Christmas dinners and trips to the Leeds German Market. This white lace dress was my best buy of the summer so I'm glad it doesn't seem to have any objections to tights being thrown under it and every possible long sleeved item of clothing I own being chucked over it. Definitely £10 well spent... well done Primark.

dress: Primark, shirt: New Look, boots: Topshop, necklace: Urban Outfitters

Something else that makes me happy to see winter rolling in is the ever growing list of gigs I've got booked or am planning on buying tickets for. Peace, Foals, The Family Rain, Haim, Bombay Bicycle Club... and perhaps most excitingly of all I'm crossing my fingers and toes about getting McBusted tickets (all illusions of my musical credentials have gone right out of the window now but quite frankly I couldn't care less... I was a huge Busted fan back in the day so just want to relive those days without the spots and general teenage awkwardness for a night).

I Kill Giants- The Naked and Famous

I wanna be your best friend, I don't want you to be my girl

Over half term I treated myself to a much needed few days away from work for a little trip home to see my friends and eat my parents out of house and home. Earlier in the week, the weather had been so lovely and almost spring-like so I'd decided that a trip to the seaside was in order when I met up with two of my oldest friends on Friday for a gossip and a catch up. In true British style, as I was on my way to the station to meet my friends, it snowed. But still we went to the beach. The others even got ice cream and it was difficult to tell whether their lips were turning blue because of the sherbet the ice cream man had doused their Mr. Whippy's with or because they were catching hypothermia. Either was a definite possibility on Crosby beach that day. 

To keep warm on the beach, we had a bit of a frolic around meeting the Antony Gormley statues on the beach. We soon realised they were actually colder than we were, the poor men were a bit under-dressed for the weather. I'd have lent them some clothes to keep off the chill a little but I'd decided to neglect my duffel coat in favour of my new Topshop jacket thinking the temperature was on its way up for good. I definitely couldn't bear to part with my big snuggly scarf  (possibly my new favourite thing). I got this scarf in the dregs of the Accessorize sale last week for just over £6... for someone who despises sales I really don't seem to do too badly!

jacket: Topshop, scarf: Accessorize, dress: Topshop, boots: Topshop

Best of Friends- Palma Violets

I'll be home for next year darling, I'll be home for next year

Last weekend (wow, this week has flown by!) I took a little trip to Golden Acre Park in Leeds with my lovely friend Coral for a bit of fresh air and adventure. I'm a big fan of Roundhay park, which is nearer the city centre and an obvious choice for students and city dwellers wanting to escape the hustle and bustle for an afternoon, but there's only so many times you can wander around the same lake without longing for a bit of something different. And so, we headed out in the other direction from the city to see what Golden Acre had to offer. 

We had a great little time exploring the nature reserve within the park, despite lots of funny looks about our poor choices of footwear from the rest of the park population who were all kitted out in full walking gear. My chelsea boots were soon completely unrecognisable under the thick layer of mud, but they did come clean (eventually). 

This has become yet another addition to my list of places to revisit in the summer as it'd be lovely to sit by the lake with a picnic on one of those sunny days we very occasionally get. 

Next Year- Two Door Cinema Club

I can't feel anything and its bringing me down

One downside of living in the city centre is the lack of outdoor space to make use of during the snowy days we've been having this week. After seeing post upon post of people's pretty countryside walks with fields of fluffy white snow, I was starting to get frustrated by the lack of open spaces filled with people sledging and making snowmen near where I live. In town, it seems the snow is merely considered an inconvenience affecting commuters still trying to totter to work in their heels (seriously, are these people too 'executive' to consider wellies or boots even just to walk to their office door?!), so in a desperate attempt to FINALLY get out and actually stomp about in the snow a little bit I became the sole person in Leeds City Centre to venture into the nearest park and then wander down the canal just to soak up the beauty of it all. And despite the lack of a playful atmosphere that comes with living near a 'real' park, I must admit that I enjoyed having this tiny little patch of snow that had been virtually untouched before I'd ventured in.

Two Hours- Theme Park

Cos I can't go on, if your love isn't strong

This weekend has been a brilliant one. Yes, there was snow, but that wasn't by any means one of the most memorable parts of the weekend as with the exception of enjoying the satisfaction of the untouched snow making that crunching sound under my wellies (does anyone else love that as much as me?!) as we wandered to various places, we really didn't spend much time in the great outdoors at all!

It was a special weekend because we were finally reunited with one of our lovely friends who'd been off galavanting around the world for a few months (too jealous). True to our form, we celebrated with too much food, a night out (which after a poor effort from the taxi company turned into a night drinking in our pjs whilst playing Singstar...), and just generally spending a lot of time being the silly little souls that we are.

Oh and we went to see Les Mis too. This is pretty much the main reason as to why we didn't really get to see much snow. The cinema dominated our entire afternoon as we'd gone to Cottage Road in Leeds, an incredibly cute little old fashioned cinema with a lovely atmosphere and an added bonus of being insanely cheap compared to the big name cinemas, so old fashioned that they had an interval in the middle of the film. I can't complain about missing the snow for the film though, it lived up to all the hype and was absolutely mesmerising! Inevitably, we then spent the rest of the weekend bursting into song at every possible moment.

Don't save me- Haim

Hail to the bop believe me

Spending half of my weekend in bed seemed to do the trick in making me feel more like a human being and less like a snotmonster, so by Sunday I was right as rain to go for a wander with one of the besties to the woods not far from where she lives. I've decided that in the summer I'm going to make the woods my new best friend because there's an outdoor gym called a 'trim trail' (take a look at the pictures on the website, you'll see me monkeying around...thanks for that one Charlie). My plan isn't to use it to get fit, more like to go with my friends so we can laugh at each other falling off the equipment. 

Afterwards, we took the scenic route home along the canal and the wintery air made the water so still that the reflections were absolutely perfect. I do think this time of year makes for some beautiful, atmospheric photographs, it certainly beats this country's pathetic attempt at 'summer' when the skies are grey and rainy for months on end.

Hail Bop- Django Django

Oh don't get up, I can't see the sunshine

The weather was pretty grim when I was at home, grey grey and more grey. But even the grey and drizzle could stop Ness Gardens (between the Wirral and Chester in case you wondered) from looking pretty. Some of my earliest memories are of visiting this place when I was a toddler, I used to be fascinated by all of the colours and exotic trees and flowers. Its changed a lot since I was a little 'un but is still just as enjoyable... although I don't think I'll ever experience the same amount of joy there as I did when I was about 6 and sledged down a MASSIVE hill in the snow and zoomed straight into a bush. That was a fun day. I'm going to have to go again in the summer to get a bit of a contrast to the wintery colours in these pictures and hopefully have less raindrops on my camera lens (a girl can dream can't she?!). 

You only live once- The Strokes