Good Afternoon

I was supposed to conclude October with a post on the 31^st with a little update and a celebration of the end of my 11 hour days at work… I didn't really manage that and then Paul fractured a bone in his foot and I became a tired house elf for a week while I did every household task that involved standing.

So here's a belated update on my life.

In mid-October I went to New Market with some old friends to meet another old friend who now lives in New Zealand.

Here is the selfie I made us take in a windy multi-story car park:

We've all been friends since primary school and we've not been all together since Issi's last visit to the uk when we were 18. But the strangest part of the day was how natural it felt to be together. It doesn't matter that we don't spend whole weeks together at school, or that we don't get to see each other as often as we should, we all still get on and tease each other for the same reasons we always did. 

I think this day marked the beginning of the intensification of my Christmas excitement which has already caused me to buy and eat these:

I spent the weekend dressed in what Primark so beautifully (and rightfully) labelled a "smock" with my very sexy woolly penguin leggings underneath. This is how I intend to dress until the end of the winter.

Each month brings a new Lucky Dip Club box and October's was diner themed and contained this golden doughnut necklace:

I wish I could say that this is the only jewellery I bought this month but that would be a massive lie...

Here are the books, blogs, tv shows, films and music I've read, watched and listened to over the last month:

Reading/Listening
1) I have become hooked on Serial and listened to all the episodes so far within 24 hours.
2) I listened to The Monogram Murders and Little Face both by Sophie Hannah, courtesy of my Dad's audible account
3) I've been reading Carol by Patricia Highsmith on the bus into work 
4) Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
5) I also listened to Lady Susan by Jane Austen from the library's awesome and freee audiobook app. Lady Susan is brilliant. Hilariously funny and, to use my favourite granny phrase, Lady Susan is no better than she should be.
6) She & Him's version of Time after Time from their new album that isn't out till December 

Watching
1) I've give the Gilmore Girls a bit of a wee rest, mostly because it's getting to the angsty bit with all the heartbreak and boat-stealing.
2) My friend from New Zealand told me about a really depressing film called Once Were Warriors and a work friend (who happens to be from New Zealand) lent it to me. The film is brilliant but incredibly harrowing. I wept throughout.
3) Paul and I have begun watching 1 Harry Potter film per week ready to watch the last one with my family on Christmas Eve. This is making me extremely happy.

New Blog Crushes
These are some blogs I've recently discovered
Ella Masters - Ella is an illustrator who sells prints and awesome bags and tshirts (like this) her blog is full of tips for creative people and lifestyle posts.
Miss West End Girl - Lynsay is a awesome Glaswegian blogger who wears awesome clothes and feeds my obsession with Scotland. 
Lemon Freckles - cute lifestyle blog written by Toni who has blue hair and lives in Sheffield