Notes from October

To celebrate Halloween here is my cat dressed up as a bat. Usually she hates wearing anything or having anything on her, but she quite liked being a bat, and living her life as a bat. Other things this month I have been...

Reading

A bumper edition of links this month!

•  Secrets to shopping in used bookstores
• I love Refinery 29's money diaries. This one from a pediatrician got me in the feels
• This about The Hills 10 years on is from 2016 but I read it this month and it was full of dramz - the comments from Spencer about his daily routine made me lol 
• This piece from a "cougar" is thought provoking
• Celebrities and the company they keep is super interesting - it says what I have been thinking
• This really sums up how I feel about people getting older and feeling like they need to look a certain way
• Some outfits really do go bad at 3pm! I feel seen 
• I love Insta account 90sanxiety's top 5 posts 
• Insights into teen's bedrooms. Lots of these are real cute!
• This writer's evolution of style is very charming 
• The penalty for a bad habit is the bad habit itself

Book wise, I've read two - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimemanda Ngoze Adichi (one of my favourite authors, but this novel was good but not great in my opinion - it was a bit all over the place and some of the events were a bit tedious), and Don't Be a Dick Pete by Stuart Heritage which is about the author's brother who is an outlandish character. It was both funny and also a bit moving in places. The perfect combo. 

Listening

Of course, since last month when I said I have way too many podcasts on the go, I've added two more. I just can't resist! The Reality Tea is about reality TV and has the best guests, if you're into that kind of jazz - think people from TOWIE, Love Island and the like. I love a D-list celeb so much more than an A-lister. There is a Ru Paul's Drag Race UK podcast to accompany the TV programme, so naturally I had to subscribe to that. The new series of Dissect, which deep dives into a hip-hop album, is out and looking into DAMN by Kendrick Lamar, an album I enjoy a lot. 

I listened to an episode of The Food Programme about Joe Wicks and it made me have a lot of respect for him - I think I judged him a bit before listening, as I found him annoying, but he is actually very down to earth and personable. I have ordered his book Veggie in 15 from the library!

Watching

Rich and I were BUZZING to discover that The OC is on Amazon Prime. The outfits (both good and hilariously bad), the long lingering stares, Marissa's questionable acting. IT'S ALL THERE. As previously mentioned, Ru Paul's Drag Race UK is here and it's everything I imagined, plus it has Alan Carr. YES MAMMAAAAA. Can't get enough. 

The second series of Motherland has been making me laugh out loud, it's an underrated gem and I love Julia's style - she does great layering work with a polo neck and jumper! 

I was off sick for 2 days this month and I started watching Styling Hollywood, which is on Netflix. It follows the lives of a stylist to the famouses and his interior designer husband - their relationship is cute AF and their jobs entertaining. 

I also finally got round to watching Paris is Burning, the 1980s documentary about NYC drag queens. It shows how gay men were driven to underground clubs when they were rejected from mainstream society, and explains where so much of the drag scene originated - from vogueing to vocabulary. 

Doing

Rich and I went to Westonbirt arboretum to see the autumn colours, which as expected were a delight. Nice egg bap as well. 

We also went to the Planetarium in Bristol for Rich's birthday and learned about some autumn constellations; interesting and also made me feel very insignificant! Last but not least, I went to see The Receipts podcast live which was an absolute riot and I would like to go and see it every week please.  

Eating

We went to see my sister, who lives in Cardiff and on a whim went to a cafe called Longa, which was Turkish. Well my gosh it was bloody amazing. I had some sort of halloumi and roasted veg situation which sounds standard but trust me it was ELEVATED. I will be returning. 

One of my October goals was to make crumpets from scratch so I did that, using a super old Delia Smith book. They were good, if a little yeasty, and they took time to make because I only had one ring in which to make them. Would make again but with more rings and less yeast. 

I bought some Lindt mint chocolate truffles which make me want to cry they're so melt in the mouth good. 

Enjoying on Instagram

• Bloody love a tracksuit 
• Love this whoooooole look

She'll get you.