Student In The City

Remember the summer evenings spent at the park. As the sun begins to set. 

We would spend hours in the fields.

Laughing and smiling. 

Acting and playing.

This is where we would learn to be good friends and keep secrets. 

This is where we would learn to be bad friends and share secrets.

Memories were made in the twilight grass. 

I think back and smile with humorous caution, those friends were gained and lost and gained again. 

And as the sun still sets, i still remember. 

Alex captured something special in my home town, so special its helped me to remember. 

Now that I've remembered i think its time to reflect... 

-

Photography by Alexander Ward 

https://www.instagram.com/ruggedwisdom/

Hidden in the Northern Quarter lies a little patch of green. A tiny little allotment where a different kind of life is growing away from the hustle of a working Manchester. Summers has brought lilac flowers into bloom with a little help from the rain, and last Tuesday showed me new places and made me new friends.

Zenit TTL film camera - £4.99

This baby was hidden in a scruffy old bag at the back of a shelf. Although I had no idea if it worked or if it was any good, at that price there was no way I was leaving the shop without it!

The 35mm Photographer's Handbook - £2.80
Here's hoping this book will give me a hand at teaching me how to use that Russian baby!

 

Orange oversized satin shirt - £ 2.99

It is what it is. Its an oversized orange shirt. Normally I never buy anything that is this bright! However I loved the look and the feel of the shirt, so I thought I might as well get it and give it a go, seeing as it didn't cost much.
I think this is one of the best things about buying from charity shops or thrift stores, you're able to experiment with your wardrobe without spending too much money, so you don't run the risk of losing out on a lot of money spent on something that actually doesn't look right, or that you only wore once. (If this does happen, and you do change your mind on an item, just go ahead and donate it back to a different charity!)

Vintage clasp purse - £1.49
This purse is in such good quality! The clasp is still in working order and the bag is very sturdy. The only downside to the purse is that it doesn't fit all that much in it. My phone doesn't even fit... However it still is very pretty and it makes me feel like my Grandma Lila (who was a very very stylish, sophisticated woman!) 

Cassette tapes - 50p to £2

My mum recently flew over to Ireland to visit family and came back with an old portable cassette player which used to be my uncles. I got so excited when I found out it still worked and the sound is surprisingly very good. Its safe to safe to say my cassette collection has been growing rapidly. Jazz is a must in my music collection at the moment! And who doesn't love a bit of There She Goes by The La's

So that was my first charity shop haul for you guys! Until next time, 

Jess 

x

So I thought i'd do a little post on a few of the things I got for my birthday. Its not that I like these things in particular more than others, it's just I wanted to pick a few different things to show you guys. If any friends or family are reading this I just want to say a huge thank you for your birthday wishes and presents!

& Other Stories Turtle Neck Jumper

Harry Potter Illustrated books 1 and 2

Topshop Rose Gold Watch

Set of 3 Notebooks  

Kinnerton Just Dark Chocolate Mints

Alpine Lily Scented Soy Candle

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (It was secretly signed by the author!!!)

Thanks again to everyone who made my birthday special!

Jess

x

So during the day Dale was a football so I spent the early afternoon with my Mum. There was a couple of things I wanted to get from my local town so we headed out for a nice cup of tea and a spot of shopping. Mum kindly took an outfit photo for me... Thanks Mum!

What I'm Wearing:

& Other Stories Turtle Neck Jumper - £69 (Birthday Present off Dale)

Primark MOM Jeans - £13

Mango Bomber Jacker - £29.99

TU Clothing by Sainsbury Boots - (Old)

Lloyd Baker London Bag - (Old)

Later on in the evening me and Dale went out for a meal in Manchester and I had been craving a Vegan Ramen from Wagamama's since Dublin, so Birthday Ramen it was!

This is what I wore for the evening. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the dress underneath as it was a cold night so I didn't take the jumper off. But it has a black slip dress attached underneath with a mesh frill smock dress on top (Hopefully I'll feature it properly on here again soon!)

What I'm Wearing:

Primark Black Mesh Smock Dress - £13

H&M Roll Neck Jumper - £34.99

TU Clothing by Sainsbury Boots - (Old)

Mango Bomber Jacker - £29.99

Primark Bag - (Old)

We then headed over to Night & Day Café in the Northern Quarter a see a band we've followed since High School called King Kartel. The gig was great and I had a bit of a secret boogie (I'm a shy dancer, ha!).

And that's how I spent my birthday!

I'll be back soon with a post on some of the things I got for my birthday!

Jess

x

It was my boyfriends birthday last weekend so I surprised him with a trip to one of our favourite cities, Dublin! We've been once before for my 18th, so I thought it was about time we came back.

We had an amazing couple of days, and as all good things do it went far to quick! When it came to packing I had to fit everything in to a carry on suitcase, and I wanted to travel as light as possible so that I'd have enough room for bringing a couple of things back with me. So I went for items that I new could all work well together.

Here are some really nice shots Dale managed to get of me and I took a couple of the surroundings whilst we were exploring Dublin. I've tried to link as much as I can for the items with either the exact item or something similar. Enjoy! :)

Trousers - H&M £29.99 Online (I got these for £7 in the Sales!)

Jago Roll Neck Jumper - AllSaints £68 in the sale (Similar)

White Frill Top (underneath) - New Look

Trainers - Adidas Stan Smiths £52 in last years sale (Similar)

Bag - TkMaxx (unsure of price)

Bomber Jacket - Mango £29.99 in the sale

St Stephen's Green Skirt

I wore this outfit on the first full day we had in Dublin when the weather was amazing! Although it was a bit chilly, the sun was shining and there was no wind or rain in sight! Great opportunity to get a skirt out! We had a lovely stroll through St Stephen's Green Park and took some photos. Both the Skirt and Jumper/Top are new purchases from Stradivarius, which I'm really loving their clothes at the moment! The loafers are new too from Asos. They we're good to walk around in for the majority, it was only at the end of the day that they started to hurt a tiny bit, but that's to be expected with most new shoes!

Skirt - Stradivarius £24.99

Flared Sleeve Jumper - Stradivarius £19.99

Bomber - Mango £29.99

Loafers - Asos £20

Tights - Primark £3 for set of 3

Bag - Tkmaxx (unsure of price)

Scarf - Primark £4

The All Black Outfit

This last outfit is one of my favourites! We were heading out for the evening so I wanted something a bit more on the warmer side. This was the first time I had worn those trousers and I have to say they were pretty comfy! I was sceptical at first considering leather look trousers are usually tight and a tad restricting, but these weren't too bad! And again I'm wearing my AllSaints roll neck jumper, and my Stan Smith which I think makes the outfit look really cool!

Faux Leather Trousers - H&M £24.99

Jago Roll Neck Jumper - AllSaints £68 (Similar)

Bomber - Mango £29.99

Hope you liked the photos and outfits! I'll be back soon with a 'What I Ate On Our Weekend Away' post so stay tuned! 

Thanks

Jess

x