Hello my lovelies,
This weekend just past I made the huge leap from 20 to 21!!!
Thus my survival of another year deserved nothing but the most stupendous of celebrations. Armed with determination and my best friend Niall I planned the most amazing of four day weekends.
Because I am so lucky Niall booked time off work so he could stay with me from Thursday till Sunday. This created the biggest birthday weekend of my life.
Since it was my 21st I felt this was only fair.
Day one was Thursday I set off in the morning to get the train to London to meet Niall there. After a quick Pret and Starbucks stop we hopped in the tube to Oxford Street for a little shopping spree basically just Topshop for some new Joni jeans I also bought some cute socks, necklace and ring.
Then I bought the all important birthday Tiara from Claire's accessories.
After those important purchases were made Niall and I headed off to Charring Cross to have a nosey around Trafalgar Square which was just beautiful in the dark with all the statues up-lit.
True I'm not the best photographer but you get the idea. We were headed to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Grayson Perry exhibit. Grayson Perry is one of mine and Niall's favourite artists.
The exhibit is called 'Who are you?' and it's done in collaboration with the Channel 4 program he was involved with. It seemed the birthday gods were smiling on me that day because Grayson Perry was actually there leading a tour so we got to see him. However the tour was private and required a ticket so we couldn't jump in on that action.
The exhibit was beautiful and the way he managed to present some hard hitting topics was inspiring. His talent is a rare and resplendent one.
When we left the gallery after a very brief wander through the gift shop we found ourselves in Covent Garden where we decided to stop at a pub called Punch and Judy. The pub itself was quite cute and the prices for the area were really good however they only served Gordon's gin. How a pub can only carry one brand of Gin is beyond me. However that is a rant for another time.
Niall and I then headed home and went of a studenty night out with me in my tiara.
Friday was Laines day. Niall and I explored the many vintage and record shops that Brighton had to offer. We ventured into many shops I'd seen but hadn't ever been in to. I felt like the worst tour guide ever. However Niall being the lovely gentleman he his he thoroughly enjoyed his day.
Food is a big part of mine and Niall's time together so we had to find a nice place to stop for some foor. we found a cute cafe in the Laines called Nest......
...... if you ever are in the area I highly recommend it.....
The next day dawned bright and early.... 10am is early right?
The best birthdays start with making up to open presents with your best friend from all you best people. My Gherkin Claudia was especially generous.
......By the time Niall and I got the train to London I had been well and truly spoilt. I was enjoying my vastly healthy pre breakfast of Macaroons from Julien Plumart Patisserie. I had never had macaroons before but my oh my were they worth the wait. The were like mouthfuls of heaven. I got two macaroons; Berries and Violet and Raspberry chocolate.
My amazing friend Bex knows me so well as she sent me a Starbucks Giftcard to help fuel my addiction. I decided it was only right to get a venti Chai Latte with no water and a shot of Pumpkin Spice. My beautiful friend Ella who works at my bucks was so cute when she made my drink.
Together I think they look stunning. Brutus has more dark tones whereas the brightness of Percival (the pumpkin) beautifully offsets againts Brutus. It's opposite matchyness.
I can't wait to add some colour background so they don't look so stark agains my pasty which skin with some more cute tats from Keely. I'm going to let her be responsible for the entire coverage of my calfs. If you love Brutus, Cleo and Percival as much as I do seriously check out Keely's Instagram @keelyrutherford.
The horror and realisation of finally being a legit adult in every country hit me very suddenly. It could have been the post tattoo delirium setting in or my plain craziness but I had a sudden urge to buy a crap ton of stuff from the Disney Store. Sadly it was 5pm on a Saturday on Oxford Street. The place was heaving with snotty nosed screaming children getting their grubby mitts on my potential birthday treats.
That idea swiftly went out the window as I ran off to save myself from the swarm of cretins in the Store. My one last ditch at childhood would have to wait till I got home. That plan was then crapped on by the fact that the shop I work in had in fact replaced Brighton's Disney Store. I seriously could not catch a break with this aging thing.
Once my leg was full of kawaii matchyness I dashed back to Brighton for a family meal complete with my Uni family. To say people were generous was and over statement. I don't wish to divulge the presents my nearest and dearest got as they are all in my birthday vlog so I shan't bore you twice with the bragginess.
My 21st was everything I hoped it would be but also in some ways a huge disappointment. Everyone was so busy with exams and work that it was all rather a brief celebration and as always it was really bloody cold.
Luckily my mum loves me lots so much like the Queen I'm have a second birthday this year. A half birthday if you will in the summer with tea and scones and nibbles and pimms and gin and cake.
After all you only turn 21 once. Or in my case once and a half.
Ttfn my lovelies
Iona xo
p.s. Sorry this took me 6 months to write
p.p.s Follow Keely she's a mega babe and I love her <3
When we left the gallery after a very brief wander through the gift shop we found ourselves in Covent Garden where we decided to stop at a pub called Punch and Judy. The pub itself was quite cute and the prices for the area were really good however they only served Gordon's gin. How a pub can only carry one brand of Gin is beyond me. However that is a rant for another time.
Niall and I then headed home and went of a studenty night out with me in my tiara.
Friday was Laines day. Niall and I explored the many vintage and record shops that Brighton had to offer. We ventured into many shops I'd seen but hadn't ever been in to. I felt like the worst tour guide ever. However Niall being the lovely gentleman he his he thoroughly enjoyed his day.
Food is a big part of mine and Niall's time together so we had to find a nice place to stop for some foor. we found a cute cafe in the Laines called Nest......
...... if you ever are in the area I highly recommend it.....
......Look at Niall all handsome and purdy
Yummy toasted sandwich
Niall also got a scrummy giant Oreo.
Niall bought a new record and a book. Sadly that meant we went to a bookshop which means I bought several books. I have a somewhat unhealthy book addiction...... Scratch that all book addictions are healthy. More people should read.The next day dawned bright and early.... 10am is early right?
The best birthdays start with making up to open presents with your best friend from all you best people. My Gherkin Claudia was especially generous.
......By the time Niall and I got the train to London I had been well and truly spoilt. I was enjoying my vastly healthy pre breakfast of Macaroons from Julien Plumart Patisserie. I had never had macaroons before but my oh my were they worth the wait. The were like mouthfuls of heaven. I got two macaroons; Berries and Violet and Raspberry chocolate.
My amazing friend Bex knows me so well as she sent me a Starbucks Giftcard to help fuel my addiction. I decided it was only right to get a venti Chai Latte with no water and a shot of Pumpkin Spice. My beautiful friend Ella who works at my bucks was so cute when she made my drink.
When we finally arrived at Brick Lane to go to the Cereal Killer Cafe (cerealkillercafe.co.uk) my face fell. The line was huge. I was worried we would never make it in time for my tattoo. However the birthday gods were smiling upon me. We got in within 10 maybe 15 minutes of arrival.
Walking through the doors was like entering a real life childhood dream. I genuinely lost my shit. The vintage cereal boxes were enough to excite any of you other 90s babes out there. The Addams family one got me especially excited. To be perfectly honest I hadn't decided what I wanted until the last second. I went for a colourful magical madness with party rings and strawberry milk.
To top things off the lovely gang a ckc played the Happy Birthday Lisa song for me and gave me extra party rings. Sadly I can't promise this will happen to you when you go. I'm just super loveable.
Next we headed to my favourite Tattoo Studio, Jolie Rouge on Caledonian Road. Keely Rutherford Kawaii Queen had saved my birthday tattoo disaster with another artist. Really why I would consider anyone else to do my birthday tattoo was beyond me.
On Halloween Keely beautifully tattooed Brutus the Batcake on the back of my calf.....
.....Look at his cute face isn't he just Halloween Kawaii perfection.
I'm not so ocd that things have to be matchy matchy symmetrical but a certain level of asymmetry matchyness is needed. I'm pretty sure not a single word of that makes sense to anyone but me.
I can say with complete honesty that I trust Keely with my skin 100%. I didn't know what the design was going to be until the day. She knew I wanted creepy cute halloween Kawaii-ness to match Brutus.
The resulting design was much better then I ever could have imagined, Cleo and Percival make a gorgeous addition to my left calf.
I can't wait to add some colour background so they don't look so stark agains my pasty which skin with some more cute tats from Keely. I'm going to let her be responsible for the entire coverage of my calfs. If you love Brutus, Cleo and Percival as much as I do seriously check out Keely's Instagram @keelyrutherford.
The horror and realisation of finally being a legit adult in every country hit me very suddenly. It could have been the post tattoo delirium setting in or my plain craziness but I had a sudden urge to buy a crap ton of stuff from the Disney Store. Sadly it was 5pm on a Saturday on Oxford Street. The place was heaving with snotty nosed screaming children getting their grubby mitts on my potential birthday treats.
That idea swiftly went out the window as I ran off to save myself from the swarm of cretins in the Store. My one last ditch at childhood would have to wait till I got home. That plan was then crapped on by the fact that the shop I work in had in fact replaced Brighton's Disney Store. I seriously could not catch a break with this aging thing.
Once my leg was full of kawaii matchyness I dashed back to Brighton for a family meal complete with my Uni family. To say people were generous was and over statement. I don't wish to divulge the presents my nearest and dearest got as they are all in my birthday vlog so I shan't bore you twice with the bragginess.
My 21st was everything I hoped it would be but also in some ways a huge disappointment. Everyone was so busy with exams and work that it was all rather a brief celebration and as always it was really bloody cold.
Luckily my mum loves me lots so much like the Queen I'm have a second birthday this year. A half birthday if you will in the summer with tea and scones and nibbles and pimms and gin and cake.
After all you only turn 21 once. Or in my case once and a half.
Ttfn my lovelies
Iona xo
p.s. Sorry this took me 6 months to write
p.p.s Follow Keely she's a mega babe and I love her <3
No comments:
Post a Comment