City Picks #2 // London Cafes and Culture

I've been lucky enough to visit London a couple of times in the past few weeks and since my last City Picks post went down so well, I thought I'd do another but this time focusing on something other than bars (although I did visit some more lovely ones this time around!).

First of all is Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. This was actually my second time here (I went at the beginning of July for the first time) and I adore it as it combines food and cats- two of my most favourite things. I would note that you do need to book in advance to ensure it doesn't get too busy but you are given an hour and a half slot in the cafe which is plenty of time to have a drink and some cake while admiring the cats. They have 10 cats that live in the cafe and you are welcome to stroke them and play with them. They also do lovely cakes- delicious scones and the best brownie I've ever tasted (warm and melty salted caramel flavour- I die). Although it's situated out in Shoreditch which is quite a trek from Soho, it's well worth a visit if you're a cat lover or don't have any cats of your own.

On Monday I was in London on my own and so I decided to pay my first visit to the Theatre Cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue. It's been open a while now but has always been packed so I've never had chance to go before but it was the perfect place to warm up and kill some time. Again, it's a cafe that combines two of my loves. The walls are covered in signed posters and show memorabilia that I got very excited about. Showtunes from a huge selection of musicals are constantly playing (I was excited to hear a song from the lesser known musical Catch Me if You Can) and you can also purchase tickets for shows, take a quiz and every Saturday they run an open mic event. I happily sat with a hot chocolate and a book soaking up the lovely atmosphere and could have stayed all day.

Onto some cultural things to do- I'm sure everyone has seen the stunning installation in Covent Garden at the moment but even I was impressed when I finally saw it in person. It started to rain a bit while I was there so I wandered around inside, listening to some live music and checking out the small boutique-style shops which was so interesting.  There's also some great exhibitions on in London at the moment. I attended The Jam exhibition at Somerset House which I found so interesting. I grew up hearing The Jam as my family are all fans so it was great to find out more about them, plus it's really affordable to get in as they offer a student price. Other exhibitons that I thought looked interesting though were Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon at the National Portrait Gallery and Shoes: Pleasure and Pain at the V&A. Although you do have to pay to get into both of these, it's not extortionate and they'd be great to shelter from the cold this Autumn.

Olivia Ellen XXX

City Picks #1 // London Food and Bars

Today I thought I'd do something a little different! Visiting London is definitely one of my favourite things to do and I popped down there last week with a few friends so I thought I'd talk you through where we went and what I liked.

The main reason behind going was to see the musical Memphis, one that I've been longing to see for a long time. We were sat quite far back in the stalls but the view was still great and I adored the show- if you want to see my in detail review you can see in on my theatre blog here. Before we went to the matinee show we decided to have some lunch at Wahaca near Covent Garden. It's a place I'd heard about but never been but I would definitely recommend it if you like Mexican food. We all ordered a cocktail (I went for a Passion Fruit and Vanilla Mojito- delish!) and a selection of small plates of food to share. There was a lovely selection of meat and vegetarian dishes that were full of flavour and perfect for a quick lunch. They have a few locations around London so definitely check it out if you haven't already.

After the show we popped into another bar that was just round the corner from Shaftesbury Avenue called Salsa. Happy Hour was on so my Raspberry Mojito was half price (can you tell I'm a bit of a mojito fiend) and we sat outside enjoying the warmth of the evening. The inside of the bar was fairly quiet as it was early but they were playing Latin music and there was a big dance floor so I can imagine this would be a great place to go if you want a bit of a dance later on in the evening. If I go and see In The Heights when it opens in London I'd definitely pop in here afterwards- the show is set to a Latin/hip-hop soundtrack so if seems apt!

Although I didn't visit here this time, another great bar is the London Cocktail Club. They are situated all around London (I visited the Goodge Street branch) and have a huge cocktail menu. The music is loud, the lights are low and drinks are strong and I really enjoyed having a few drinks in there back in June. I'm heading back there in September so if you have any recommendations for places to eat and drink let me know and I'll try and check them out!

Olivia Ellen XXX

My First Tattoo!

As you may know, I recently turned 18 and I've known for a while now that I wanted a tattoo. I got this done a few weeks ago so thought I'd talk you through my thought process and experiences before and after having it done. None of my family have any tattoos, nor do they particularly like them, but it was important to me that I wasn't doing something that would upset my family or that I would regret. Therefore I was always open with my parents- I told them that I was serious about wanting one, showed them that I'd put a lot of thought into it and had done my research. Luckily they're fairly easy-going so they agreed that it was my body and if getting a tattoo was something that was genuinely important to me, then they would support my decision. This made it a lot easier for me, and although they perhaps don't love it, I'm glad that I didn't go behind their back and have it done.

Obviously a tattoo is going to be on your skin forever so I needed to get the design exactly right. I'd known for ages that I wanted a rose. Some people believe that all tattoos should have a really deep meaning behind them, but I disagree. I think it's totally OK to have a tattoo purely because you think it looks nice. My rose does have some meaning- my parents have been married for over 30 years and despite having a very basic wedding (as they couldn't afford much more at the time) I always remember my mom telling me that she had yellow roses as these are her favourite flower. Originally I was going to have the rose done in yellow but after doing some research of different designs, I decided just to stick with a basic black outline, and if I wanted to add colour or build other elements into the design later on, that could be done easily enough.

It took a lot of time for me to find the perfect design. I took photos of roses, browsed photographs online and even attempted to draw my own, and I combined all these elements into pages and pages of a notebook until I was happy. As you can see from the pictures, I went with the rose in the bottom right-hand corner of the paper which was a photograph I found online. What really drew me to this one was the simplicity of it- it had very little shading but the shape was clear and the leaves were a nice touch. I sent this photo to my tattoo artist who copied it out and re-sized it for me. I had the rose done on the top of my left thigh for multiple reasons- I knew that fleshier parts of the body would be less painful and I also wanted it in a position where I could cover it easily, but equally I could show it off when I wanted to.

Before going to get the tattoo done, I did as much research as possible into every detail of getting a tattoo including how to prepare for one on the day and the healing process. I knew I was going to have it done at the Tattoo Palace in Wolverhampton. It's probably the biggest tattoo studio in the city and has a really good reputation so I knew I'd be safe there and that it would be done well. I had really mixed reactions when telling people I was going to get a tattoo done. Some people were violently against it and thought I was mad, while others were really in favour of it. At the end of the day, you can't expect everyone to be a fan of tattoos, but they are a very personal thing to each individual and I think that people should respect other's views. It's like wearing make-up- some people wear a full face every single day and some people never wear it, but either way you should respect that individual's choices, whether it's something you would do or not.

On the day of getting the tattoo, I was incredibly nervous. I was worried that it would hurt too much, or that it wouldn't look exactly as I wanted. Before starting the tattoo artist asked me lots of questions regarding size and positioning to make sure it looked exactly as I wanted. I was shaking like a leaf but the artist really put me at ease by starting with a small section to show me what it felt like. He kept asking me how I was doing and explained exactly what he was doing so I was soon feeling a lot calmer. The pain was not like anything I'd ever felt before- I would describe it as a deep scratch but as the needle vibrates it also made my leg feel buzzy (if that makes any sense). The tattoo took less than an hour though so I would just say to anyone that is worried about the pain: the pain is temporary but at the end you get a piece of art that you carry with you forever so it's definitely worth it.

In terms of after care, I was advised to wash the area gently three times a day, applying a layer of Bepanthen cream afterwards. I was to do this for 3 days, keeping it wrapped in cling film the rest of the time. For two days afterwards I didn't go to the gym as I didn't want to stretch or irritate the skin, and I also kept it wrapped up while I showered and tried keep it as dry as possible- this is because the hot shower water could open the pores too much and allow some of the pigmentation out and also the power of the water could irritate the skin. After these three days I took off the cling film and was able to shower as normal, but I kept applying an unscented moisturiser throughout the day (I like Nivea Soft as it's gentle but really gets into the skin, plus it's super affordable). I noticed after a few days that the area began to itch- this is normal, as the tattoo forms a fine scab over the top, but it's important not to itch it otherwise you could ruin the design. The flakes of scab just come away by themselves when the tattoo has healed so if you see black flecks coming away from the tattoo when you moisturise, it's nothing to worry about.

The top left photo is immediately after having it done- as you can see it's a little red although I didn't really have any bleeding, and it was a little tender for a few days afterwards. The right photo is after about 5 days, so the skin is still a little raised in places where it is still healing, but otherwise this is the finished look. I'm super pleased with how it looks. I adore it and want to show if off as much as possible. I would definitely consider getting another done in the future (I'd like to add some words around the edge of the rose I think), but I won't rush into it as, not only are tattoos pretty expensive, I don't want to run out skin by the time I'm 20!

I hope this post might be useful to some of you that are considering getting a tattoo in the future. If I could sum it simple I would day: 1) don't rush into it, plan and do your research, 2) make sure it's exactly what you want and 3) remember that the preparation, pain and healing is temporary but the finished tattoo is forever.

Olivia Ellen XXX

What I've Been Reading...

At the beginning of the year I did a post all about the books I had read in 2014 and mentioned that my aim for 2015 was to read 52 books. We're just over half way through the year and I'm making good progress so thought I'd share with you my favourite books of the year so far!

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai: This is an inspiring story of an incredibly brave girl who is not afraid to fight for what she believes in. It made me smile and cry and I was left completely in awe of Malala. I have even more respect for her after reading this book because there is so much of her story that you didn't see in the media and I would really love everyone to read this!

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson:  It's so rare to find books without cis/heterosexual protagonists so when a friend lent me this book I was so excited. It's a nice easy read but has such a lovely message about learning to accept people for who they are and standing up for your friends.

Rainbow in the Cloud by Maya Angelou: This was a birthday gift from a friend of mine who knows my love for Maya Angelou. It's a short but sweet book filled with quotes and extracts from Maya herself which inspire and provide wisdom and put such a smile on my face. I've also read the third book from her autobiographical series this year and plan on reading the remaining two soon.

The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson: I bought this one a whim as the blurb didn't give much away in terms of the story but I'm so glad I read this! The story was full of twists and surprises which kept me turning the pages. I've since lent it to people I know and they've all agreed that it's a great read.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: This is a really well known one but I've only recently got round to reading it. Once I'd started though I read it in about 24 hours because it had me gripped. It's a great mystery novel and I really didn't guess the twist until very near the end. It's being made into a film soon so I'd recommend reading the book before this comes out!

How I Paid for College by Marc Acito: This was such a fun read! Very lighthearted and entertaining but as I'm off to uni this year it really struck a chord with me and had a message that really resonated with me- if you want something enough don't give up on it!

Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical by Stacy Wolf: My most recent read is a bit of an eclectic one. I'm a massive musical theatre geek and an even bigger feminist so this read was so interesting to me. It revealed a lot to me about some of my favourite Broadway shows that I hadn't even realised was there and reminded me why I love theatre so much! Not one for everything but if you want an in-depth look at musical theatre it's worth a read.

I'm just over half-way to hitting my target so if you have any recommendations I'll definitely give them a go!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Keeping Organised + Stationery Collection

I know I'm not the only who is obsessed with stationery in the blogging world but I can't explain what it is I really love about covering fresh blank paper in my own little scribbles and notes. I also know that I own an inexplicably large amount of notebooks and pads (many of them were gifts, many I bought myself because, why not?!) but it's fair to say that without them I'd be a lot less organised that I am. Today I thought I'd talk you through my favourites. 

Let's start with most important bit of kit I own: my diary. This gorgeous floral number is from Paperchase and contains my whole life- work shifts, school work, even my scheduled blog posts get noted down in here. Personally I prefer writing dates down rather than storing them on my phone although I don't think there's a real reason for this- I guess I just love having a pretty little book! I picked up the I'm Over It notebook in New York as I'd filled up my previous list book. Yes that's right- I have an entire notebook dedicated to making lists. There's something so satisfying about crossing things off once I've done them and it also helps me remember things I need to do or buy as I have a truly terrible memory sometimes. Plus it has funny statements all the way through such as II'm never drinking again' or 'I can handle this'- little lies we all tell ourselves which cheer me up!

The small notebook on the left is my theatre book. In case you didn't know, I also run a little theatre review blog as it's something I'm really interested in (Olivia Loves Theatre) and so this is the book I take to performances if I want to make notes on things to remember for when I write up a review. It's handy because it's really slim and compact so doesn't weigh me down. The elephant notebook at the back is one I love mainly for aesthetic reasons- the cover is made of fabric and the design is 3D with the paper inside being really good quality plain paper. It doesn't get loads of use but it sure is beautiful! 

I sure am a sucker for stationery that's a bit of fun. Whether it's sticky notes that are pencil shaped, patterned sticky tape or something with a punchy slogan, you know I'm going to want it! That's why I love the In My Humble Opinion... book. It has quotes about humans on one side and a space to right about your day/encounters on the other which is a bit of fun and a good way for me to get my feelings out. Another are the Please sticky notes with tick boxes on them. They're great because they get noticed so whatever is on them gets done quickly!

I'll finish off with a couple of creative things. Although you can't really see it on the picture, in the top left is a ring-bound scrap book which I've been making a start on. Everything is done so much online these days that I think it's really great to have some physical photos and memories so I'm enjoying spending some of my free time filling this in. Equally is the book of Secret Garden postcards that you colour in yourself before writing on the other side and sending them off. The patterns are so therapeutic and I'm looking forward to sending some of these to my friends when I go off to uni. 

While I was writing up this post I made the mistake of looking on the Paperchase website and I now have a list as long as my arm of things I think I need. Let's see how long I can resist!

Olivia Ellen XXX 

New York Photo Diary

A couple of weeks ago I took my first ever trip to New York. It's been a dream of mine for so long so finally being there was pretty overwhelming and I was determined to make the most of it. Being a massive theatre geek meant I got overly excited every time I saw a theatre or show I'd heard of (which happened a lot, believe me!). I was lucky enough to see two Broadway shows while I was there, starting with Matilda. I saw it in London last summer and fell in love so I was glad the Broadway version didn't disappoint. In fact, it was almost identical but it still captivated me and I the cast were all very strong. The second show I saw was Gigi, starring Vanessa Hudgens (yep, she's on Broadway now!) and Corey Cott (an actor I've admired since Newsies). While the show itself is not new, this is a brand new revival which I actually saw during previews, just a couple of nights before the official opening. Not knowing the story or any of the music didn't phase me, as the performance blew me away. The cast were enchanting, as were the beautiful set and costumes. New shows always need that little bit extra love so if you're able to, I'd highly recommend going to check it out.

The weather while we were there was quite reasonable considering they'd just had their coldest winter in a long while. We had quite a lot of sun some days which is where I took these snaps of central park- I had no idea how big it was, and getting right into the centre is strange because you can see the skyscrapers yet it's so peaceful. Really I just fell in love with the city- it has everything I could wish for and I'm determined to go back some day and live it all over again. Feeling inspired or what!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Books of 2014

At the beginning of 2014 I set myself the target of reading 30 books. I'm told I've always loved reading, especially as a child, but I went off it for a while and hardly read at all, so this challenge was my incentive to get back into books big time. I surpassed my target during the summer, so upped my game and I'm proud to say I read a total of 50 books in 2014. If you're a regular reader you've probably noticed that I include a book of the month in my monthly favourite posts so I wanted to round off the year with some of my favourites.

My favourite book of the year? Now that's an impossible question. It's so hard to choose because I've read such a variety, but one of the ones that has stuck with me is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It was incredibly moving and beautifully written.

Good comedies? Oh yes. Caitlin Moran's novel How to Build a Girl was brilliant. Living in the same town that Moran grew up in, it was weird knowing many of the places mentioned in this book and it was just so out-there and hilarious. A recent read is Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling's autobiography I suppose. It's not too long and had me laughing aloud from the first page with it's relatability.

Classic Novels? I've read a few this year and all of them have been old, well-read copies which really makes me feel like I'm diving into the past. 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and The Great Gatsby by F. Fitzgerald all really impressed me. They were interesting and thought-provoking and it's easy to see why they're known as classics.

Best series? Again, very hard to choose. The Hunger Games is an obvious one but I was gripped to the books and now am enjoying the films (admittedly I was a little late on the bandwagon for that one!). Also the Divergent series by Veronica Roth was a real page-turner, although my favourite was probably the lesser known Delirium trio by Lauren Oliver. I was really dissapointed when I came to the end of the third book as they were such a good read.

Read any non-fiction? I've really broadened by reading horizons this year by reading many non-fiction books. For cat-lovers, I cannot recommend The Cat Whisperer enough. While (unfortunately) it doesn't actually teach you how to talk to cats, it is really interesting to find out why they behave in certain ways. Something that really opened my eyes was Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism by Natasha Walters. It really made me think about the society in which we live in and has lead me on to do much further research into sexism of my own.

Any others? One more I think I need to mention is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This is the first book in her autobiographical series and I've now read 2 out of the 5 (I think) books. I read this before she passed away earlier in the year and loved it so it seems even more important for me to complete the series now. She was an amazing woman and her death was a great loss but I think her books really teach the lesson that no matter what you go through in life, you can still be an incredibly strong and confident person.

I record all the books I've read in this book journal I was given as a gift from Paperchase, along with a few thoughts for future reference. So for 2015? I plan on reading 52 books so if anyone has any recommendations, I'm very interested!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Edinburgh

A couple of weeks ago I was up staying with some family in Scotland and decided to take a little trip up to Edinburgh one day. I've been there countless times, particularly when I was younger but it was nice to view the city in a new perspective now that I'm older, and I'm actually regretting not putting it down as one of my uni choices.

After arriving into Edinburgh on the (albeit annoyingly delayed) train we headed straight to the Royal Mile for a coffee break. We visited Deacon's House Cafe, which weirdly I remember going to as a child- it still seemed so familiar despite being at least 7 or 8 years ago. I had a delicious piece of banoffee cheesecake which kept me going for quite a while. Next on my agenda was fudge- god, I'm a sucker for something sweet with fudge being one of my faves. The Fudge House is down the bottom of the Royal Mile and had a ridiculous number of flavours which meant the decision was tricky, but in the end I settled for a bar of chocolate orange (despite being very tempted by the pumpkin spice).

Then after a quick visit to Topshop (had to be done) and a purchase made, we took a stroll through Princes Gardens which was looking so autumnal- it definitely felt it too! We also wandered round the National Gallery which I always enjoy doing- I remember once going in there and the artist Tracey Emin was filming something which is cool because I really admire her work.

It was well past lunchtime by this point so we decided it was time for a nibble. A family member has recommend The Dome, which is a large bar and restaurant. We spotted it a mile off due to the outrageous Christmas decorations. Hard to believe it was only October but it really made us feel as if we were in a Christmas film and was quite magical really. In typical me style, I had a Bramble cocktail to drink along with a huge plate of nachos to share. Sitting in a Christmas grotto eating nachos- does it get any better?!

We did do a bit more shopping after that, popping into the likes of Zara and Scribbler before catching the train home feeling exhausted. The family we were staying with live in a small, relatively rural village so the contrast between that and the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh reminded me just how much I adore city life- living somewhere quiet just isn't for me!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Urban Coffee, Harborne

Last Thursday I headed off To Harborne in Birmingham with a couple of my friends for a night of live jazz music. As we knew one of the performers as well as one of the girls that works in the cafe we decided to go along and support, even though it is a bit out of our way (we got the train from New Street to University, then a short walk to The School Yard where Urban Coffee is situated). The cafe is small and cosy and I can imagine it being the perfect place to sit and warm up in on a chilly winter's day. The decor is beautiful- lots of wood and beams and candles which help set a relaxed atmosphere. There was a great array of cakes, coffees or something a little stronger if you prefer. The music was also fab- jazz musicians always blow me away with their talent so it was nice to sit and have a listen and a chat with my friends. These live music evenings are becoming a monthly event here, so you will definitely be seeing me at the next one and I highly recommend you give the cafe (or one of their other's in Birmingham) a go if you haven't already! If you want more information you can check out the website here.

Olivia Ellen XXX