Pollock House

Wearing: Vintage Shirt, Vintage Cardigan, Vintage Skirt, Crocheted Snood, and Topshop shoes.

All photos by my lover boy and me

 Last weekend we went on an adventure to Pollock House and Country Park in Glasgow. It's only a couple of minutes away on the train from Glasgow Central and definitely worth the trip. If you are in the area, go check it out. The grounds and gardens are wonderful and I can't wait to go back in the summer when all flowers will be in full bloom. Most of the day we spent having fun by jumping over puddles and exploring the maze at the back of the house. Despite what the photos suggest, it was a miserable day weather wise. I would have been much better in my wellies than my new Topshop shoes. But hey ho, that's Scotland for you. 

 Inside the house is just as good as the grounds. The National Trust for Scotland staff are super friendly and taught me loads about the extensive Spanish art collection. Our little trip was the perfect ending to the Christmas Holidays. Sadly, that time is over and it's back to studying. I'm counting down the days till Easter Break already. 

Pastel Strands

This year I've been determined to start drawing more. The other day I got locked out of my boyfriend's flat and spent the day doodling away in Costa. I was drawing the back of the girl sitting in front of me. I guess that is kinda creepy, but I find that I need to look at things to get proportions right. Anyway, I've been experimenting with gimp and how to turn my doodles into digital creations. After a couple of hours playing with the tools I've turned my sketch in Costa to this graphic girl with pastel strands in her hair.

Pen to paper

Writing a letter first thing in the morning is a lovely way to begin the day. It gets me in the mood to be productive and cheerful. A few months back my mother dearest sent me up a little parcel full of goodies. One of which was this writing set from Paperchase. The little animal sketches are so cute and it all has a beautiful woodland feel to it. In the set comes 10 sheets of white and brown paper, tons of woodland creature stickers and 10 envelopes to pop your stamps onto. The brown paper is my favourite so I'm saving that for some super special letters. This year I'd love to send a letter or postcard once a week. When I get letters I jump about like Harry when the owls went full force of the Hogwarts delivery. Usually letters I get are mundane- from the dentist or bank. The world should write more letters. It's so wonderful to receive a fresh envelope telling you that you're thought of instead of a summons to pay your vet bill. 

The Peaky Blinders

source: West Midlands Police Flickr 

For ages my friend went on at me to watch Peaky Blinders. When I finally got round to doing so, I couldn't thank her enough for the recommendation. The BBC series is set in Birmingham (close to where I'm from) and tells the tale of a group of illegal bookmakers in the 1920s. One reason you should watch it- the very handsome Cillian Murphy plays the lead. Second, it's a bloody brilliant drama. But, most importantly, it's history. I love television dramas that inspire me to look into the true events and go in search of newspaper cuttings. For me, the programme is even more of a draw as it helps me understand somewhere local to me. Before, Birmingham was a place where I went to get some fabric and thrift some goods from cow vintages. Whereas now, I'm intrigued by the industrial buildings and the everyday lives of those who strolled the city lanes decades ago.

Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh

Just before Christmas I was given a lovely surprise. My boyfriend decided to take me to the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh for afternoon tea. After walking up to the castle and having a wander around the Christmas market, we headed to the hotel. The practicalities of what to wear were a concern for me. I thought it would be a pretty dressy but once inside it seemed a lot more casual then I'd originally thought. I wore my dress from warehouse and didn't want to look too fancy so my cardigan stayed on. I hate being overdressed as much as I hate being under dressed for an occasion.  

The afternoon tea itself was divine. The Balmoral Hotel lived up to its expectations and the staff were wonderful. To start I had a gingerbread latte (which was later topped up). Then all the courses started rolling out. The scones and cheesy bites were my favourites. The desert tray was also amazing but by that point I was absolutely stuffed. All of the items are so tiny I thought there would be plenty of room in the desert stomach but apparently not. Overall the whole atmosphere was just perfect for a special day out. There was even a harpist playing Christmas tunes! Gah. I want to go back. If you are looking to go somewhere in Scotland for afternoon tea, I'd definitely recommend it.

Currently Reading

Magician by Raymond E. Feist. 

This was one of the books I received for Christmas and a welcome break from the Game of Thrones series I've been reading all year. I'm only part way though but so far, so good. It has a mix of vibes from Lords of the Rings to Harry Potter. If you are into the fantasy genre at all then I'd go find a copy. 

Late Afternoon

For Christmas I was given a whole bundle of ribbons, of all different colours and sizes. I've always loved putting ribbons in my hair because they make me feel like Violet Baudelaire. With my ribbon, snood and trusty hunters I went for a walk in the fields by my house. Despite the sun being out, it was freezing. I must say, I'm starting to really crave spring and the longer days. The time for snow has past and I'm ready to cycle around wearing pretty dresses. 

“Anyone who knew Violet well could tell she was thinking hard, because her long hair was tied up in a ribbon to keep it out of her eyes. " Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning

Winter shades

I'm back home for the holidays and my days are currently filled with lots of crocheting, pretty little liars and walks in the cold woods around my house. It's no surprise that I finished crocheting the headband (pictured above) in just one night when I've got little else to do. I'm not complaining though! A few more days musing and squirrel spotting would be just swell thanks.

Quick Sketches

Just a few instagram photos of some sketches I did this week. One of my new years resolutions is to be more creative and draw more. They're a bit rough but just practices. The first one is a quick sketch of an outfit photo of Rebecca 'The Clothes Horse'. I've been following her for years now and her outfits always inspire me. 

Through one, through two

I always get bored in the holidays and ask my mum to help me learn how to knit or sew. This time though she taught me how to crochet. So far I'm finding it a lot quicker and easier than knitting. All the 'through one, through two, through two, chain one'... is starting to make sense. By the end of tonight I should have a headband. Then, onto snoods and all kinds of crochet things. 

Because reading matters...

I'm a complete bookworm and I love it when people reuse books to make art. I remember my art teacher at school assigning a class to come up with literary art by folding the pages. When all the books were put onto the wall it looked pretty amazing. I've never seen any literary art quite as detailed as these sculptures though.  They were found around Edinburgh in libraries and left by an anonymous artist 'in support of libraries, books, words, ideas'. If you get the chance to go the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh anytime, go check them out (and then have a coffee in The Elephant House). I'd like to try and recreate my own book sculpture of Peter Pan but I'm not sure it would turn out so well. 

New Year, New Blog.

Hello world! It's a new year and more importantly an even number year! I thought I'd jump into it by creating a new blog. I left my last blog heading off for uni and since then a whole heap has been happening. 

So a bit about me:

I'm Helena! From England and currently at university. 

Things I love: Fields, geography (most of the time), boooooks, walking in the rain, clouds, old postcards and vintage clothes.

Let the new adventure begin. 

'Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread'

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings