Writing, fatshion, me
Friday, April 19, 2024
Mother's Day 2024
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
New Tattoo
What did you do with your Leap Day this year? Anything wild or exciting? Or was it just another day? I love Leap Days - they always feel so full of potential. To try to harness that, I booked a tattoo on the day when my regular tattooist Nini opened her books just before Christmas. It felt like an auspicious day to get tattooed.
I was considering getting faces of Poppy and Jasmine to match my tattoo of Ivy's face, but the space was a bit small. Then I considered getting silhouettes of Poppy and Jazzy but decided this is something I might do in the future. So I decided to get flowers instead - poppies and jasmine, so that I know they're for my lovely cats but other people might not. I left the design with Nini and she definitely delivered - one poppy surrounded by jasmine. I absolutely loved her concept and then I waffled as to whether to get it coloured in or not. You may know that it turns out I have an allergy to a lot of red/pink/purple inks, and my body makes the tattoo very swollen and itchy and raised, and eventually most of the ink falls out. This was the case for the rainbow on my foot, so I've now had it coloured in with yellow and green and blues, instead. It is entirely fascinating that this happens, but also really, really annoying. I've paid a lot for those tattoos!
So I decided I would just get Nini to do lines and shading, and if I decide later I want colours, I can always add them. Nini mainly works in black and grey now and she's really good at it. She is based at The Ink Station in Heckmondwike by the way and I love her - she always seems to get what I'm going for. I've also been tattooed by Kimi there and I really like her style too.
I was thinking this tattoo would be smaller than it's ended up being, but Nini was absolutely right and put it so that it's in a good position however my arm is. That's why she's a tattooist and I am not. It only took about an hour and wasn't too painful - the worst bit actually was having to sit with my arm at an awkward angle for all that time!
I absolutely love it and I am so glad to have it!
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Films of the Month - February
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Lunch at Slattery with Amy
On the eleventh of April I headed across to Manchester to meet up at Slattery's Patisserie with my friend Amy. She first took me there over a decade ago and we still love to go, so we booked it. I set off nice and early because I can never be sure of the traffic to Manchester, but then I ended up getting there about 11.30 and I managed to get a space in the tiny car park too. Lee had asked me to take him home some bread and some chocolate fudge cake, so I went into the shop first to get those. I also got a little vanilla sponge cake with icing. They're thirteen pounds each so not super cheap, but I was tempted last time I went so decided to get one this time. I had some for tea and it was delicious! I'm glad I bought it.
I headed upstairs and sat for a little bit in the waiting area because I was a little bit early. Our table was booked for twelve so I went in for then and Amy arrived not long after me. The food at Slatterys is amazing but they don't have a ton of vegetarian choices, so I end up usually getting the same thing. I had the doorstep rarebit with garlic mushrooms on top, and a hot chocolate which is my fave. I genuinely did waver on what to have for pudding but went with the marshmallow and strawberry dippers. I only ate half so I brought the rest home!
Amy needed to leave at about 2.30 so we said goodbye and then I drove home. I went and came back on the M62 even though I hate it because it was quicker. Our new car is a joy to drive though so that's one thing! I was wearing my rainbow tartan dress because I wanted to wear something bright. I was also wearing teal footless tights from Snag and these gorgeous patent boots. It really wasn't boot weather by then - it was twenty degrees when I was driving back - but they're so pretty that I will eke them out a bit longer!
Amy is currently expecting her third child, due in just a few weeks!
What I Wore February 19th
Lee wasn't working on February the 19th as it was a freebie day off for him, so I asked him if he wanted to go out for lunch and he chose for us to go to the Toby Carvery near our house. It's not my first choice usually but actually I was in the mood for it so I agreed. First of all I went to craft club in Penistone, as I do every Monday generally. Then I went home and picked Lee up and we went to the carvery. It was really busy! I think some kids were on inset days and they were having staff problems too.
But there were two courses for £11.49 so we both decided to get that. Now, the carvery does do a few vegetarian choices but I always find they're too much and that actually I would just like the vegetables, potatoes and stuffing etc. They used to advertise this but haven't for a while, but I decided I would just do that anyway. And indeed when I went up to the carvery counter there was absolutely no problem for me to not get any meat. I got everything else instead, including the cabbage, which was delicious, and the mac and cheese. It was delicious! I really enjoyed it and it was nice to spend time with Lee as I had barely seen him all week. We both also had whipped ice cream sundaes for pudding.
I relaxed for the rest of the day but I was glad we had gone out for lunch. I was wearing my Scarlett & Jo skirt which I usually say is purple, but it's almost the same colour as my new Hamilton t shirt... which is definitely blue. So really who knows. They do look good together though! It wasn't freezing cold so I had just put on my huge new strawberry jumper from Snag. It's so cosy!
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Hamilton with Friends in Manchester
On Friday the 16th of February I went to Manchester to see Hamilton with Sam, Jacqui, and Jodie! I had seen it was coming to Manchester and wanted to go, so they said they would buy me the ticket for my fortieth birthday and pay for us to stay over too. I was excited to see Hamilton and my friend Michelle told me to listen to the music first so I had been doing that for a few weeks beforehand and I think it did really help. I was familiar with some of the songs and I liked some of them already!
So, I took Lucinda to Wakefield to get on the train back to Edinburgh after our gigs, and then I went home where I had a blissful couple of hours by myself to just relax for a little bit. Then Lee took me to our village train station and I got the train to Huddersfield, where I met up with Sam and Jodie. We got the train across to Manchester Piccadilly and then met up with Jac. THEN we walked just down to the aparthotel where we were staying. By this time it was about 4pm so we just chilled out for a bit. Then we got ready for the evening and left the apartment at about 5.30. We had booked to go to Bundobust for tea (my choice, and somewhere I love!) and we thought it was about a fifteen minute walk away. But we went the wrong way and ended up walking for about 35 minutes! We went really round the houses. But thankfully we got to Bundobust at about 6.05 and got our seats.
We ordered a bunch of food and decided to share it all. It was so delicious - we had the chaat which I usually get but it was nice to taste the dhal and some other stuff too. I also had a lemony lemonade which was nice.
About 7pm we walked just next door to the Palace theatre. Jac and I got merch - I got a shot glass, a pin, and a t shirt! I love them all so much. I really enjoyed the show, too. It is really engrossing and every single person was so good. I really liked the backing dancers because they were so good and they moved all the set stuff around really well. I would definitely see it again in a couple of years or so.
We went back to the apartment (via a much shorter route this time) and then hung out for a bit in our pyjamas before going to bed. I was awake for a bit in the night so I read for a bit then went back to sleep before getting up at 9.20. We left the apartment at about 10am and walked to The Pen and Pencil for brunch. I had a hot chocolate which was delicious, and avocado on sourdough with feta, poached eggs, and sun blushed tomatoes. Sam also gave me one of her vegan sausages and some of her halloumi, which I was only too happy to eat! It was all delicious.
We then said goodbye to Jacqui and me, Sam and Jodie went back to Piccadilly station. Unfortunately there was a rail replacement coach but fortunately it wasn't too full so we got a seat each and barely spoke to each other haha. I was reading and listening to some music and soon we were back in Huddersfield where Lee picked me up. I got home and went to bed for a couple of hours because it had been a hell of a week! Lots of fun, of course, but exhausting for me and my chronic illnesses!