Sketchbook stuff #1

I thought I would share a few pages of my current sketchbook to show you all what I've been getting up to recently. I can't tell you how cost effective it is to use old books as sketchbooks! I bought this Kipling anthology for about 20p from a junk shop, a margin of the price I'd usually pay for a blank sketchbook. Drawing/painting/collaging over text also has a really nice effect, not to mention the rustic looking pretty cover.

I'm thinking of making this a series and putting more of my arty bits and pieces on here. I've got about six sketchbooks on the go at the moment so I might make my way though scanning some pages from each. 

On body image

Quite a few times in my life I've been asked casually if I was anorexic. I've been told to "eat more", "get some meat on those bones" and "gain some weight", all of which have been intended to be flattering. Why, I often wonder to myself, is it a positive thing to imply I have an eating disorder? If you were asked if you were obese, told to "eat less", "shed some meat off those bones" and "lose some weight" it would be taken in an entirely different way. Anorexia is not a joke and not something to belittle in the same way obesity isn't. Would it not be better to promote a healthy body image and accept the fact that some people are naturally smaller and some are naturally bigger, and that is perfectly okay? Eating disorders and weight issues are serious problems and therefore shouldn't be trivialised by making out that being anything other than a healthy weight is a good way to be. 

Instantly assuming that skinny people don't eat properly, fat people are obsessed with food and all women are naturally body concious is just rubbish. You can be perfectly happy with your body whatever shape or size you are, and live a perfectly healthy lifestyle and still be skinny or fat. You can be a size 4 or you can be a size 18. You're happy and healthy? Great. Put on some stiletto heels and stomp all over the people that tell you you can't be.

source for both images

Unconditionally loving your body is the most refreshing way to look at yourself. Looking in the mirror and thinking "Hell yeah! I look great! I'm going to wear these horizontal stripes because I want to, it doesn't matter what vogue tells me to wear!" makes that smallest bit of difference in making yourself happier. It's not vain, shallow or big headed to love yourself. There is no such thing as people that "aren't real". The size of your jeans does not determine your worth. Take note, Meghan Trainor.

Acting on your best behaviour

Jumper - H&M
Trousers - Missguided

Shoes - Topshop

It's rag week at Sixth Form this week, meaning we had to dress up for charity in a different costume depending on the theme each day of the week. Dig my costume? Kidding- although I did actually wear this along with some fluffy rabbit ears and tail for 'beginning letter of your name' day which er.. fell apart an hour after I got to school. Oops.

Songs of the week:

1. Yellow Flicker Beat - Lorde
2. Next Time You Call - Courteeners
3. The Only One - Manchester Orchestra 
4. Can I Get Witcha Love Club - Lorde vs. Biggie: Carter Mashup

Hope you're all having a good week!

A/W Street Style Inspiration

All images from Pinterest

Winter has to be my favourite season for fashion. The comfortable knits, warm layering, not to mention hiding your third second day hair in a woolly hat. I love the simple styling of these looks, so effortless yet so chic at the same time. I'll most likely be investing in a big oversize coat for this winter, if I can save my pennies after pay day long enough to get one that is. 

Saturday resolutions

Good afternoon! 

After giving myself an internal pep talk, I have decided to become more active on this big ol' mess of a blog. I'm going to brush up on my writing skills, photography, and styling to turn it into something I'm actually proud of as opposed to something slap dash I'm not happy with. I've also decided to get more active with other forms of creativity, which means less reblogging art on tumblr and more creating my own art in sketchbooks. Here's to short bursts of motivation on Saturday afternoons.

All of this, and no, I still haven't joined a gym.

Songs of the week:

1. Smooth Sailing - Queens of the Stone Age
2. Zombie - Jamie T
3. Sweet Girl - Beware of Darkness
4. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root (oh, the nostalgia)
5. Where Will We Go - IAMDYNAMITE 

Man on fire

JUMPER - MISS GUIDED, HAT & SCARF - PRIMARK, JEANS & SOCKS - ASOS, BOOTS - TOPSHOP

Autumn is here! Drinking excessive amounts of hot chocolate is not only no longer frowned upon but encouraged. Big turtle necks seem to be creeping in to everyone's wardrobes this season and I love this one from Missguided. I ordered it a few sizes up so its got that extra cosiness factor (as well as being able to eat a full roast dinner with room to spare). 

I bought this scarf from Primark on Saturday but I have to say Primark have been going down hill considerably this year. I'm seeing more rhinestones and tacky pleather than I am anything else, although saying that their shoes were looking pretty good.

Hope you're all had a good weekend!

Cheap Monday

TOP AND JEANS- CHEAP MONDAY, BOOTS - TOPSHOP, BAG - MONKI

Just a quick outfit post today, wearing my new bits I bought from the Cheap Monday sale. I'm so happy with them- they were a steal too, the top was around £5-8 and the jeans were £17 (reduced from about £50!). I also got the backpack recently- which I now realise you can't see- from Monki.

I popped up to Covent Garden with a couple of friends today and may or may not have bought £15 worth of pens in Paperchase while I was there, so I'm pretty sure I'm ready for September! Only a few weeks left of holiday now, no more sleeping until 2pm for me.

Hope you're all having good week!