SQUARE EYES PART TWO

At the start of the year almost as some sort of self-promise, I aimed to read one book a month in addition to my weekly magazines. It was kind of a resolution - one that I knew I could actually maintain. I was constantly exposed to some really amazing titles that I would research and save for months in my endless Amazon basket.

At the end of last year, I took the plunge and for Christmas my Amazon basket was finally cleared on many of my desired reads that were recommended by friends, blogs and magazines.

If you are in need of a bit of me-time but never actively pursue it, now is your time to make that change. Every Sunday, at your desired time, make a hot cup of green tea, wrap up with your blanket and make it your mission to read one chapter- at least.

So, towards the end of last year, I suddenly felt the world of journalism pounding on the idea of feminism 2.0 (that I am all for), it bought with it a whole world of books that stood for empowering woman - a new wave of feminism for the modern world of entrepreneurial, techy, career driven women. I decided to put together a list that is still a work in progress of books to read to continue the momentum that I started towards the end of 2014.

Feel free to join me on my bookathon or wait up for my book reviews.

FYI I am in month 4 in and almost finished on book for.

IT | ALEXA CHUNG

So, I may be year too late for this hype, but if I am going to be completely honest, I was pretty disappointed by this book. I wasn't expecting magic or any sort of life changing experience, purely just a chilled, easy read with a few entertaining facts about the presenter turned London 'it' girl Alexa.

It took me around 3 days, journeys to and from work to read the book filled with far too many pictures and overly large text, that passers by may have thought I was slightly special or just lacked a certain degree of intellect. I should have left it at home...No worries though because I finally get Chung's story and I'm jealous alright! annnd I got a coffee table book to perk up my bed side. Gain!

If you are a fan of Alexa or mad on fashion it is for sure a must read, it's definitely a seen a blog hype, so get on that. 

#GIRLBOSS | SOPHIA AMORUSO

After finishing 'it' rather speedily, I got on to a book I had been dying to read after mass emails received from Nasty Gal and major Instagram promotion. During my time at MyFlashTrash, Nasty Gal was a major competitor or mother brand to look up to, so to follow Sophia's story of success was as good as it gets. 

Whether you know about Sophia Amoruso's brand Nasty Gal or are even interested in that area, it still makes an entertaining and informative read, written in a pretty chilled and engaging way.

I may be completely over and quite frankly fed up by the word 'Girl Boss' but Sophia has achieved the impossible and is someone to look up to for any aspiring entrepreneurs or talented runaways who also started their career with theft! No Judging now.

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL | LENA DUNHAM

 Next up is the HBO sensation Lena Dunham aka Hannah from the major US series Girls staring and co-directed by Ms Dunham herself. 

After so many magazines raving about the book written by the care-free, young spirited, natural and quirky writer I just had to see what the fuss was about. Annoyingly, this is now the third book about these powerful and independent women that seem to all have a very girly pink cover with hugeeee titles and that really doesn't excite me! On to the content, which is obviously more important, Lena tells her life stories divided into various areas of the growing up process for a young lady, including all the private parts no normal person would really want to disclose...need I say more?

Overall though, I am so glad I read the book and it got me even more excited about the new season of girls just to get a bit more of Hannah/Lena's awkward humour and life. I honestly couldn't put it down and hated it when I arrived at Old Street station because I never felt ready to stop. 

BOSSY PANTS | TINA FEY
Tina fey, known to most Americans for her role on Saturday Night Live, but everyone else remembers or  just give that little 'ohhh yeaaaah' when I remind them of her role in Mean Girls as the teacher miss Norbury but little do they know she wrote the screen play for Mean Girl and Freaky Friday. 

Her book Bossy Pants is comical autobiography written in the style Tina Fey knows best, sarcastic humour. It topped the New York Times best seller list and was a natural want after watching her host the Golden Globes. The book wasn't as easy to read as I thought and makes references to elements of Fey's career I was not familiar with but equally makes for an easy light-hearted read.

&
COMING SOON...

IF YOU HAVE TO CRY GO OUTSIDE | KELLY CUTRONE

GIRL IN A BAND | KIM GORDON
HAUS FRAU | JILL ESSBAUM
BETTER THAN BEFORE | GRETCHEN RUBIN
CHLOE SEVIGNY |  CHLOE SEVIGNY
CLOTHES, MUSIC, BOYS | VIV ALBERTINE
WILD | CHERYL STRAYED
   

THE WEEKEND | NOTTINGHAM

What a manic two weeks it has been! Aside from going about my usual day of work from nine to five, training five times a week with Yoga on a Wednesday, there has been a whole realm of other things that I have been working on too.

To start with, on occasion I go back to where it all started for me in Nottingham (my place of study) to visit the university and do talks or lectures to current or perspective students as a sort of 'this is where the course got me' sort of talk. I go into a lot about the roles I have had and the companies and contacts I have made since graduating and how I got there before and during university. As a student, you can imagine how helpful this could be when you're on your last leg in final year or struggling to adapt to university life in your first year.  So, a few weeks ago I was asked to head back for the open day to do a talk to prospective students. 

Baring in mind I was a mess at presenting during my time at university with my knees wobbling, my hands shaking and my voice almost unrecognisable from all the stress, this was and always is a huge deal for me and I do feel very proud and grateful for this opportunity. 

After a very last minute session on Powerpoint the night before I talked for the worlds and it went really positively. I stayed back for the workshop to answer a few questions and do my bit of handing out a couple of business cards here and there. The rest of the weekend was just a dream! Shopping, sleeping, massages and facials, lots of alchoholic beverages and eating of anything and everything. Some people find it strange that I do enjoy going back to Nottingham so often because it is not the same as being there as a student, but honestly some of my best and worst memories were there and I guess it was the city I really felt like I grew into my own, so it always is exciting to see the new bars and pop-ups that have opened and to see how the city has developed.

If anyone is ever stuck on what to do for the weekend and doesn't want to travel too far. I would highly recommend a day in Nottingham (if you know the right places).

The Beauty Temple - Day Spa

Lee Rosy's Tea - Tea House

Rough Trade - Cafe and record shop

Coco Tang - Cocktail Bar

COW Vintage - Vintage Fashion

The Orang Tree - Pub

Das Kino - Games Bar

The Boiler Room - Secret Bar

Wild - Vintage Shop

White Rabbit - Tea House

Thea Caffea - English Tea Rooms 

Delilah - Brunch and Deli

Broadway Cinema - restaurant, bar & arts cinema

Pitcher & Piano - restaurant & Bar (in a church)

PASS ME THE GLASSES

photo: HV and creator of TOTW London

I am proud to say I love reading, mostly on the tube, often in cafe's, at home and almost always on long journeys slash holidays. Now I can't say I get my head stuck into the ultimate must reads, or the ones highest on any sort of book list and they are far from challenging from the mind, but for me its about down time at home or while having a tea away from any sort of humanly drama, which is pretty much all the time. I spend a Monday morning reading Marketing Week and Campaign magazine and now they can take its toll slightly.

I tend to consume a whole lot of content through industry magazines and emails and fashion updates from blogs and magazines. My ultimate go to publication has got to be my open obsession to The Sunday Time Style (thanks to my dear father) that I have been reading from my early teenage years, even if the content was hardly relevant (Mrs Mills as a fucked up agony aunt I just didn't understand). I now collect copy after copy finding it a step harder to dispose of my hoarded collection despite my mommy giving me that not so gentle nudge every weekend. More recently, I have a major girl crush on two world wide obsessions Cara Delevingne and Kendal Jenner, don't ask why because the world has spoken and in my eyes they are just perfect little things, so I have only gone and bought all their most recent covers inc. Love and Dazed and Confused.

My weekly reading regime (and yes it has to be done, because we only have a certain amount of time a day when we are not on our phones scrolling through apps or out at work, drinks or catch ups, gymming or just sleeping. So that just leaves erm... on the train on the way to work and back). Monday's start with my current book Bossy pants by Tina Fey Tuesday's are half for my book and half for flicking through Time Out for the latest pop-up bars and restaurant, exhibitions and just snippets of info. Wednesday is obviously Stylist day (a HUGE deal in my office with 3 girls getting up earlier to get each other a copy in case the other missed out - like I said a big deal!). This usually takes the full journey back with the way there for my current book and just my nerdy excitement to whether I get my copy that week, which has even sometimes resulted in actually picking up a copy from the floor - grime I know. Thursdays are for ES mag and Fridays, well on the way back, they are pretty much a write off after a few drinks.

Keep an eye out for my personal book list for the year, that I will be posting soon.

What are your reading habits?

FRESH-FACED | MALAIKA FIRTH

Via. Telegraph Magazine

After her appearance on the cover of the Telegraph magazine, for me Malaika Firth has been outed. Friends with Jourdan Dunn, who mentors her along her journey in fashion, you know there are only big things to come for her.

Flicking through weekly sups at work, while the rest of my colleagues jump at the business and money sections of the weeks papers, I picked up and added the Telegraph Magazine to my pile to read. Why? Not only were the silhouettes, hues and style of the clothes right on the mark, but I couldn't help by crush over her small almond eyes that really make her stand out and look delicate; the way I fall for Cara, Kendall and Freya Beha.

Only having Model.com (ing) her I realise how late I am in seeing her potential when the rest of the fashion world already has, but on these regular 'fresh-faced' posts, I like to pick out the models that fit my idea of beautiful, Malaika being my next.

After I read her article in the magazine, I feel her humbleness and nativity, which is always a bonus with a model that is being exposed so fast. To give you a bit of a trailer on her, she is 21, born in Mombasa, Kenya and now lives in East London. Her most prided moment so far has got to be the fact that she is the first black model to be the face of a Prada campaign in 19 years. I say this but I really don't agree. We're now in 2015 and the faces of fashion are still so limited and still lack a lot of  ethnic faces in such a large spectrum of possibilities. One ethnic face for Prada makes big news, but should this really be the case? 

On to the above editorial for the Telegraph Mag. I am obsessed! Each piece used in the shoot has a very distinctive fit and style but equally they all go in-line to create actually a really minimalist, androgynous capsule collection that belongs in my wardrobe. Forget prices, I WILL find my own more affordable versions of each piece. If you look at the way each outfit is dressed, be it a belt, excess fabric, folds or buttons. They help dress the look without adding tacky embellishments or even jewellery for that matter. That - I love!

This side of the season I am all focused on creating single-coloured looks that dress to impress without adding any accessories to complete it. Surely this can't be that hard to find

So off to Zara Trafulic, COS and Weekday it is for me.

PART TWO: THUG GYM LIFE

Part two of my gym life adventures continues. I completely agree that this all sounds pretty darn ridiculous and slightly over the top, but it's is all done in true humour, as I do believe the extent to which some people go to to achieve this bodybuilding Barbie body is too much. Saying this, when you watch your own progress and you see yourself do what you thought was impossible, it can be really rewarding. But as they say... everything in moderation. 

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5 Utterly ridiculous problems of a gym girl.

1. Hit rock bottom because you haven't been to the gym in just two days. Ridiculous

2. Get grumpy at my PT for not being able to lift the weight I lifted last week.

3. Having a good week (of eating and training) and going weak in the knees at a collogues birthday cake.

4. My mother worrying about where I am: drunk on the floor, kidnapped by a loony, fallen asleep on the train? NO just training at the gym!

5. Drinking a soya vanilla latte and realising I forgot to ask for a sugar free syrup. Damn that's like an extra 80 calories!

6. Boycotting work drinks to go to the gym - party pooper

I cannot lie and say I am not guilty of the above, as ridiculous as it sounds but when you do train the amount I try to do and attempt a clean way of living, why go weak for a glass of white when 1. It's going to taste shit, because lets be honest we aren't going to splash out on the best for AWDs (after-work drinks) 2. It's only going to be one glass so we won't get to the point where we think 'this one's going to be a mad one' 3. We get a headache; sadly it's only after one glass.

Are you guilty of any of this?