Kirkstall Abbey

As the weather was quite nice yesterday we decided you go for a wander around Kirkstall Abbey. We drive past the Abbey quite a bit when we go into Leeds city centre, however yesterday was the first time that I had actually been for a walk around it! It is a ruined Cistercian monastery and was founded in 1152! The ruins themselves are entrenched in history and gothic mysticism and are extremely beautiful.

We had a lovely afternoon exploring and I would definitely recommend visiting if you are in the Leeds area :) 

Life Lately

Life has been a bit hectic lately, especially this past month, me and Jamie finally took the next step and moved in together. This meant that I had to move out of my family home, move across to Leeds and start job hunting. We have moved into a beautiful apartment just on the outskirts of the city center and so far it has been wonderful living together. However, my job searching has not been so wonderful! I have had countless application rejections and after numerous unsuccessful assessment days and interviews it's been quite hard to keep going but hopefully I will find something soon. As I haven't had much time to blog I thought that I would just share some snippets of what I have been up to this past month :)

Hanging out with my lovely Grandma Edie the week before I moved, she is the funniest person I have ever met and always makes me laugh.

Testing out our oven and baking some gooey chocolate brownies for Jamie. Sadly due to his work commitments he was unable to attend his graduation so obviously the next best thing was indulging in yummy chocolate treats.

Catching up with these lovelies and enjoy a girly night out in Liverpool for Hannah's 23rd Birthday.

My brother's pumpkin creation for this years Halloween celebrations.

One Saturday we got up ridiculously early to go to the local skate park before all of the children and teenagers got there. We hadn't been skateboarding for a while so it was really fun and I even managed to go down the ramps a few times without falling off. I'm slowly learning!

Moving to a new city has been exciting but also quite daunting. I love exploring and finding new places to visit and new restaurants, I just need to make some friends now!

The Foo Fighters, London

After years of waiting I have finally seen The Foo Fighters live!! I never thought that it was going to happen so when tickets came on sale last month and me, Hannah and Emma managed to get some I was so excited. As it was on a Sunday and in London we decided to make a weekend of it and drove down on the Saturday. After checking into our hotel we had a lovely Saturday night exploring Covent Garden and Soho and meeting up with our friend Eryna for food and drinks. We had many a cocktail and had a delicious mexican meal at Wahaca before heading back to the hotel getting some rest for the big day! As the event only started mid afternoon we managed to grab some brunch in Camden and then head over the the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The foo fighters were headlining the Invictus Games closing ceremony and so we managed to grab a good spot and have a relaxing afternoon watching the other performances. We got to see the likes of Diversity, The Military Wives Choir, Rizzle Kicks, The Vamps, Bryan Adams, James Blunt, Ryan Adams, Frank Turner, Ellie Goulding and the Kaiser Chiefs before the main act! They were all really good and entertaining so I'm glad we saw them all as I wouldn't ordinarily buy tickets to see the majority of them so it was a nice change. 

One of the highlights of the day was getting to meet Greg James! We were just sat down relaxing and he was interviewing a group of people behind me so when he had finished and the opportunity came about to get a photo with him we jumped at the chance. He was so lovely and so incredibly tall!! 

The whole reason that there was an event on at all was down to Prince Harry for organising the event. The Invictus Games were sporting games for our 'wounded warriors' from the armed forces to compete against each other and still be able to participate in sporting events. Competitors from countries around the world competed and it was a great success. Prince Harry even made a speech so we got to see him too!

As expected The Foo Fighters were incredible and I definitely want to go and see them again! 

On the Monday we decided to head into London again for breakfast and meet up with Emma's cousin. We went to a diner for yummy pancakes and then had a wander about the sights such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. We then met up with her other cousin and we for fro-yo before making the long drive home. We all had a wonderful weekend and I think another one is most certainly on the cards!

Italy

I absolutely love Italy, it is my favourite country to visit and back in January when the winter blues kicked in I had a browse online and found super cheap flights so of course I immediately booked them! The past week has been spent doing a little tour, our little Italian adventure! We visited Bologna, Florence, Lucca and Pisa and I had such a wonderful time. 
We flew to Bologna and stayed in a lovely guesthouse called the Cristina Rossi B&B. The lady who owned it was so friendly and wonderful and gave us hugs and kisses goodbye when we left. I would definitely recommend staying there! Bologna was so much fun and it was nice to be in a place that was full of local people and not touristy at all. We spent the day wandering around the streets and explored the Piazza Maggiore, the town hall which had a community art display, the food market and the university district. After all the walking we had done we went to a tiny pasta restaurant and had fresh homemade pasta! We indulged in the most delicious gnocci and pumpkin tortellini, I could have eaten it all evening!

Our next stop was Florence. I had always wanted to visit Florence but never got the chance to on my interrail trip two years ago so I was so happy we were able to go this time. Florence was a lot different to Bologna, lots more people and bustling streets packed with tourists. That being said we still thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent one day seeing all of the sights such as the Duomo, the food and leather market, the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza Signoria and the next day venturing to the Uffizi Gallery to see all of the famous Renaissance artwork and then to the Boboli gardens. We were pleasantly surprised because we got into both places for free as it was the first Sunday of the month! We ate a lot of gelato in Florence and managed to find two vegan restaurants! The first was called Panino Vegano and did wonderful burgers and paninis as well as desserts. The second was called Crepapelle which did sweet and savory vegan crepes. Both restaurants had gluten free options top!

After Florence we travelled to Lucca, the walled city! Lucca was so pretty and so different from the places that we had previously been to. The city is surrounded by massive walls which you can walk/run/cycle along. We opted to cycle along them and rented bikes for the afternoon cycling along the 4km long walls in the beautiful sunshine. As Lucca is easily accessible by train many people come to visit just for day trips so in the evening it was nice and quiet and quite romantic to wander around the streets.

Our final destination was Pisa. We didn't originally plan to go but due to flight times being changed we had to re think our route and decided on staying for an extra day and flying home from Pisa. We had a lovely day looking around the streets and stalls and of course went to see the leaning tower. It was so funny just to sit and watch people doing the obligatory photo of trying to push the tower back up! For our final evening we treated ourselves to a delicious three course meal and had a quiet night in the hostel.

The food, the people and the culture are fabulous and I loved every minute of our trip. I can't wait to plan the next one!

Surfing

I have recently got back from spending the past three weeks camping with my dad and cousin in Newquay. We had such a wonderful and relaxing holiday, I really didn't want to come home! Last year I tried surfing for the first time and I loved it so I decided to book another lesson this year. Once again I found myself enjoying every minute and managed to pick it up easily again. Obviously I fell off a few times but managed to catch a few waves to the shore which was really fun! If you have never been surfing before I would definitely recommend trying it, it's extremely fun and not as scary as it looks!

The Big Pink

Last week I dip dyed my hair using The Big Pink dye from Bleach London. I had heard a lot of good reviews about the products and decided to give it a go myself back in April and was pleased with the results. As I was going on holiday, I decided to use the rest of the bottle and was delighted that it worked better the second time around. My hair is light brown and so I was surprised that the colour was so bright when I washed the dye off. I have also bought the Bruised Violet and I Saw Red colours so I'm excited to try them out soon!

Busy weekend

This past weekend was a rather busy one! I booked some time off from work to enjoy a long weekend and to spend as much time as possible with Jamie before he headed off to America for a couple of weeks. As it was our two year anniversary weekend we decided to have a romantic evening on Friday and visited a lovely independent tapas restaurant in Leeds called Dos Amigos. The food was delicious and there was loads of choice for us vegetarians which got a huge thumbs up from me. We also tried the sangria which was equally delicious. Afterwards we headed home and watched the film 'Her'. We had wanted to see it when it was out in the cinemas back in February but never had the time but it was worth the wait! 
After a lazy Saturday morning we went strawberry picking. I had been patiently waiting for a couple of months for the strawberries to be ready to pick so when I saw the sign near the farm I was so excited! Picking them was so much fun and as they were fresh they were so tasty! When we had finished picking them we headed home and made lunch before travelling back to mine in Wigan. At night we went out with all of my work friends for a few drinks for my brother and another colleagues leaving party. It was a really good night and was great getting to see everyone outside of work.

On Sunday we got up early as I was taking part in my local race for life. I managed to run the majority of the 5km race, and only had to power walk for half a km whilst it was uphill and I was struggling. I'm really proud of myself for taking part as I had been saying for years that I was going too. I even managed to raise £100 which went straight to Cancer Research UK. Having lost my Mum and Grandad to cancer in the past 4 years I'm happy that I got to raise some money in their memory that could help others. 

On Monday we went for afternoon tea at a place called The Grapes in Croston. A few of my friends had been and it looked too good not to try ourselves! The presentation of the food is amazing, all placed on a miniature picnic bench! We got 5 savory and 6 sweet dishes, served with a milkshake and tea or coffee. It all tasted wonderful and I will most likely be visiting again!

I really didn't want the weekend to end as I had so much fun and it meant saying goodbye to Jamie for around 3 weeks!!

Camping weekend in the Lakes

I have just got back from a lovely weekend camping in the Lake District. After a few weeks of working hard we decided that a mini weekend break was due to relax so we booked to go camping. Even though all of my childhood memories of holidays are on campsites, I usually stayed in our caravan so it was fun to be staying in a tent! We stayed at the Great Langdale National Trust campsite and even though it was fully booked, it was nice and peaceful. It was in the middle of the countryside and had hills surrounding it, extremely quiet with beautiful scenery! 

On Saturday morning we woke up early and headed to Grasmere for a little wander about and to visit the famous gingerbread shop. We of course bought a packet and indulged in some whilst sat in the daffodil garden. It was definitely worth the trip! Afterwards we made our way to Ambleside to meet up with some friends who I know from university, one of them actually lives in Ambleside so it was cool to have a wander round after lunch and see some stuff we probably wouldn't have gone to see. We had a wonderful long lunch at the giggling goose cafe and because of the beautiful weather we were able to sit outside. In the late afternoon we wandered back to the campsite and sat outside relaxing before having a mini bbq. It was really refreshing to have no electricity, no television, no internet or phone signal, basically no distractions.

On Sunday morning we ventured to Bowness for a wander around and for breakfast before we headed back home. The weekend was so much fun and really relaxing. Just what we both needed! I absolutely love the Lake District and cannot wait to return!

Two Years!

Today's post is a rather soppy one. Today is quite special as it marks mine and Jamie's two year anniversary since we first met! It's crazy to think that it has already been two whole years, it's has gone by incredibly quick and I can remember almost everything about the night we met. I say almost everything as there were parts of the evening when alcohol may have taken over my brain slightly... hehe

After a drunken night out and a few texts during the week we soon made plans to see each other again and after about a month of 'dating' we decided to become an official couple, even though I'd say we were already a couple before it but we were both too shy to bring it up in conversation. 

I think the main reasons we are so suited to each other and have made it work for this long are that we are both laid back about things and we have the same beliefs about the world, for example both being vegetarians and believing in conserving and helping the environment. We really understand each other and make the most of the time we spend together. 

I can't wait to go on more adventures together and plan the rest of our lives together.

Jamie, you have stolen my heart. Please keep it safe forever <3

Skateboarding in Southport

Sunday morning started off as the usual lazy morning with a lie in followed by breakfast on the sofa, reading the newspapers and watching a cookery show. We didn't really have any plans and were struggling with what to do with ourselves, we could have gone to Liverpool or Manchester for a wander and something to eat but as we are trying to save money at the moment we decided on a drive to Southport for a walk along the pier and a bit of skateboarding. Jamie used to skateboard loads when he was growing up but hadn't done it in a while and the first and last time I did it was last summer in Newquay. We soon got the hang of it and had so much fun skating down the pier and through the parks. Even though it was terribly windy we had a great day and Jamie got to show off doing some tricks.

A lot of people think that once you get to a certain age you have to start behaving like an adult and give up childhood hobbies, for example skateboarding, I disagree strongly with this view and believe that if you really love something you should continue to pursue it! Now go and grab your boards! :D

The Future

The future and what it has in store excites but also scares me. The mystery and possibility of anything that could happen makes me eager to find out what life has in store for me but it also makes me fearful and makes me want to hide away and hibernate. It's coming up to a year now since I graduated from University and I feel quite lost and unsure of what I'm doing with my life. It just feels like everyone I know has a plan and goals for the future and they all have great jobs and career prospects and I feel like I have just wasted this year in a job that I don't really care about and could do without having a degree. The fact that the many jobs I have applied for didn't even respond, not even to say they had received my application is disheartening and demotivating, especially as I try really hard and spend days doing the applications. I have the best family, friends and boyfriend that anyone could wish for but even this cannot make up for the fact that I feel lost and wasting my life away.
Things that excite me about the future is not knowing what adventures I may go on or where I'll end up living etc. I have always said that I want to travel more and do some volunteer work and after researching some possibilities I have realised that it is something that I need to do before I settle down. Society seems to judge people  if they appear different from the rest and if they go against the norm, but what is normal anyways? I don't really want to be stuck in a job that I hate and worry about paying the bills for a house I don't particularly like in a place I don't want to be. Nobody forces people to do anything and yet so many people live unhappy, unfulfilled lives because they are afraid of deviating from the norm and scared of how they will be perceived.
I can't shake the feeling that there is something out there for me that I will feel passionate about and this makes me restless and makes me want to explore and find my calling. This part of the future really truly excites me and come September I hope to find what I am looking for. All I want is a simple life full of fun, love and adventure!

Banksy?..

Last weekend we ventured to Harrogate for the day, I had only been once before so was quite excited about going again. We had a lovely wander around the shops and streets and grabbed a spot of lunch from Marks and Spencer and ate it outside whilst it was quite sunny. The best part of the day was definitely stumbling across a piece of graffiti that resembled the work of the famous artist Banksy. Obviously we don't know whether it is a Banksy piece or not, regardless it is a rather cool piece of graffiti and made a pretty cool photo op :)

  

Cobble Hey Farm

After having to work on the original day we had planned to visit Cobble Hey Farm, the time finally came to go! On Sunday morning I was super excited because I had been waiting for ages and couldn't wait to get there. After a spot of lunch we wandered around the gardens before having a look at some of the animals. They had sheep, lambs, pigs, piglets, calfs and goats and they were all so cute! We got some food for the animals and a little lamb came up to the fence and nibbled it from our hands!

As I was already having a lot of fun we decided to go and see the lamb feeding in the main barn. The activities were mainly aimed at small children but I didn't care and got stuck in and got to hold a one week old piglet and bottle feed a lamb! We then got to stroke the softest rabbit ever and then take a goat for a walk! That's right, a goat! 

I had so much fun seeing all of the animals and cannot wait to go back again!