LIFE CATCH UP

Goodness, it's been ages since I last posted a catch up post! Whoops! Here's a round-up of what I've been up to, when I've not been blogging (I also went on holiday, and got a new job, but you're up to date on those things, riiiight?).

Instagram: @eversojuliet

1. I am so happy to see that Spring is here! It's been so nice to see the sun out - it's even been warm enough to go out WITHOUT a jacket several times (no mean feat in Scotland!). I'm hoping that we get a sunny summer again, I am keen to ditch my winter coat asap, and go on more beach adventures.

2. It's been really lovely seeing what my flat is like on sunny days too. I'm on the top floor so it gets LOADS of light, and gets absolutely roasting if it's been a sunny day and the windows are all closed - I reckon it's going to turn into a bit of a greenhouse in the summer. I'm worried I'm going to kill all of my plants as I'm quite lazy at watering them, eep. Must get better.

3. I stopped eating chocolate/anything with added sugar for a couple months this year, then broke my sweet-treat fast by having the most indulgent mocha coffee (with an ENTIRE creme egg melted in it), which made me feel a bit sick!

4. The Science Festival rolled round, and it was lovely to see all of our hard work pay off! The Festival started with a big opening party at the City Art Centre, where I celebrated slightly too enthusiastically, and then had to embarrassingly shuffle into work the next morning, bleary-eyed, with 18 straight days of work ahead of me. Ahem.

5. It was quite surreal to be working my last Sci Fest, and it was actually really sad to say goodbye to my lovely clients, who I've been working with for the last few years. I made an effort to go to as many events as possible (got to take advantage of my last festival pass!), and saw amazing speakers, got to use a real-life Enigma machine (TOO COOL), danced at a space party, played with robots, and realised I definitely would quite like to be an astronaut.

6. I definitely don't need any more homeware, but I CANNOT resist the charms of Tiger. I bought loads of candles (of course), plus some beaut monochrome mugs, and an ace face planter to replant my avocado plant in. I can't be trusted in that shop, I want it all.

7. Edinburgh's summer festivals are now on the horizon, and Edinburgh International Festival were the first to launch their programme - showing off their super cool new look at the same time. EIF have nailed it this year, I'm so impressed with their programme and I cannot wait to see it all in action in August!

8. I've owned Soba for over a year now (happy birthday Soba!), and if I'm honest, he's not much tamer (I think he will always be a grumpy hedgehog), but he seems pretty happy. Josh and I tidied up his hedgehog house and made cute backgrounds using black vinyl, so he's probably the most stylish hog around.

9. Post-Festival, Josh and I escaped up North for a week of chilling out, drinking wine, and doing very little indeed. We stayed in a reclaimed railway carriage, Coastal Carriage, and it was really sweet (I'll blog about this in more detail soon).

10. Most of the week away was dedicated to pure lazing, but we went on a couple of walks, including a big scramble to a beach dotted with rockpools and beautiful big caves to explore. It was so nice to discover a new bit of Scotland, and we were lucky enough to get some sun (in between the snow, hail and rain!).

11. Finally, after weeks and weeks of always having something on the go, I had a day of NOTHING, and it was glorious. I've been hoarding some Lush bath bombs for ages, so it was ace to get the chance to finally use one - this is the intergalactic bath bomb, which is gorgeous but SO glittery (be warned!).

12. Apologies for being quite the poser here, but after a few weeks of feeling thoroughly frazzled, it was nice to have a moment where I liked my look! My sunglasses were total bargains from Mallorca, and my scarf is an epic tartan/houndstooth number from Primark, that has been a staple in my spring wardrobe - it's like wearing a giant blanket (aka the best kind of clothing).

JANUARY CATCHUP

I am DELIGHTED that February is here, and gloomy, stressful January is behind us. I think I might need to invest in a SAD lamp (or move somewhere sunnier!) before next Winter - I really hate the endless dark days at the start of the year, and I'm so much happier when the sky is blue.

Today the sun was actually out, and I'm starting to feel a bit more excited about the year ahead - I'm through one of the most stressful months at work, our programme comes out next week and I have lots of fun things planned. Yay!

January wasn't all doom and gloom though, here's a few colourful moments that kept me going...

1. I was lucky enough to get a sewing machine for Christmas, so to get me started, I bought a copy of the mega cute Love at First Stitch by sewing blogger Tilly and the Buttons. Now, I confess I haven't actually tried to sew yet... I'm a bit scared of getting started! Now that work has chilled out a little bit, I'll hopefully be showing off something I've made this time next month.

2. I've already written about this, but I'm SO pleased with how lovely this room looks! I finally sorted out my study, and it's possibly my favourite room in my flat...  I love having a dedicate space for blogging and painting, and it's such a fun, colourful room to be in.

3. My flat is slowly turning into a bit of a jungle, and this carnivorous plant is my newest leafy resident. I love having loads of plants in my flat, I'm currently trying to justify buying a massive fig leaf tree for my living room (but it's pretty pricey, aargh).

4. I celebrated two years with this guy and I'm very happy about it. Yay love!

5. I'm cheating again because I've already blogged this jacket in an outfit post, but it's super cosy and I love my patches so much. I need to try and find a few more outfits that look good with a denim jacket though, I'm in danger of resorting to double denim.

6. Remember when I posted about my bedroom, and mentioned there were a few Double Merrick prints I really wanted for the wall? My wonderful mum read my blog and bought me them for Christmas! I am so pleased, I love them so much and they look brilliant in the room.

7. I dangerously discovered that Edinburgh has an amazing sushi takeaway, which is delicious, but pretty pricey, meaning I'm probably going to bankrupt myself on sushi rolls. It's taken me such a long time to start liking fish, but I'm so glad I eat it now (especially as I can artfully play with my meal on my new whale plate).

8. The weather has been GRIM, which really hasn't helped my January blues. I am really annoyed that big storms are getting named now, because it's making me realise how many massive storms we actually get! Luckily there were a few glimmers of spring... there was a gloriously sunny morning, and my spring bulbs are all coming up.

9. Finally, I dyed my hair dark and I love, love, love it! It's quite a big change, but it's fun to do something different (even if I feel like I'm betrayed my ginger roots!).

DECEMBER CATCHUP

Hello! Long time no speak. I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

It's been a little while since I last blogged, but I've really enjoyed a few weeks away from my laptop, after 22 days straight of blogging in December! I was doing so well with blogmas (and had planned to blog right up to the 24th), but my birthday rolled round, my best friend arrived in town, and fun and frolics took over!

Here's what December looked like for me...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I had a few flying trips to London this month with work, which were pretty exhausting but also surprisingly fun! I got to go to the Palace of Westminster with a client, which was quite surreal - the building is SO beautiful and ornate, we were greeted by a choir at the entrance, and I accidentally took home-soldered flashing circuits with me (for work!) and had to explain to the intense security team that they weren't anything dodgy. Oops.

2. This is the first Christmas that I've had Soba, which brought the JOY of posing him next to Christmas ornaments that are the same size as him. So cute, I die.

3. It was so fun decorating my new flat for Christmas - I still haven't taken any decorations down yet (they aren't going anywhere until my holiday is over!), but I don't want to, they're so pretty! I got my tree from Ikea as part of their 'buy a £25 tree, get a £20 voucher' deal, and I've been so pleased with it - it's hardly dropped any needles and fits so nicely into my living room! Now I just need to work out what to put in the space when it goes...

4. As a massive space geek I was SO excited to be part of the Scottish celebration of Tim Peake's Principia launch. Edscifest ran activities all day in the National Museum of Scotland, and we watched the launch live, with astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (aka the coolest woman alive) talking us through everything.

5. It was my 30th birthday this month, so I threw a super indulgent ginger-themed party. Joshua designed my birthday invites and made me these really cool ginger hairspray cans to use as props at the party.

6. My party was so much fun! I normally don't organise anything properly for my birthday as it's just a few days before Christmas, but as this felt like a big occasion (I cannot believe I'm 30) I held my party a few weeks early so my friends could make it. Everyone made such a big effort in dressing up, I had a gingerbread girl cake, massive balloons, and the nicest gang of pals to spend time with.

7. Just before Christmas I went to an immersive screening of Mean Girls, put on by the super creative Jelly & Gin. It was so much fun - we had a box of themed drinks and treats that matched the movie perfectly, including candy cane grams and a burn book cocktail.

8. After possibly the most stressful week at work ever, the Christmas holidays rolled round, and Joshua whisked me off on a secret birthday adventure. We arrived at the incredible Brockloch Treehouse, an amazing cabin in the trees in the middle of nowhere. It was the nicest ever surprise, and we're already dreaming about when we can go back.

9. I don't normally brag about gifts, but forgive me for this one - I was just so touched by my dinosaur-themed birthday present from Josh! I got a personalised lego set (!), a really excellent feminist dinosaur badge, a Jeff Goldblum patch, and a necklace made from real fossilised amber (with insects in it!). The best!

10. Back home, and my actual birthday finally rolled round. It's weird being 30! I don't mind it, but I just don't feel grown up enough to be a proper adult yet! Saying that, I've got a good job, I bought a flat this year, I occasionally shop in Waitrose. Is that adulting? I'm still obsessed with dinosaurs and I play a lot of video games and watch cartoons. Is that adulting too?

11. Christmas rolled round, and it was a really lovely, relaxing time. Josh & I spent Christmas Day at my flat, cooking too much food for two people (I made custard for the first time!), watching movies, playing games, and being super lazy. Boxing Day was round two with pals, more games, and a roast goose! I still feel full.

12. And to round off my super relaxing Christmas break, I booked into the Lush Spa to spend my birthday voucher (thanks Mum!) on one of their spa treatments. I went for the Comforter, a seriously indulgent treatment where you get scrubbed with chocolate scrub and doze in a room full of candyfloss bubbles. So lovely!

Now I'm coming to the end of my holidays and trying to get my head back into real-life mode. I always try and take a bit of extra time off at the start of the year to sort my house out and enjoy the quiet of days by myself, reading, pottering about, and taking in the new year. January is always a trying month - I have scary deadlines at work, and the days are dark and grim, but I'm feeling cheery. Bring it on.

NOVEMBER CATCHUP

Hello! Sorry for disappearing into the ether - I was feeling so on top of blogging, and then house disaster struck, and I had to move out of my flat for a couple weeks, which destroyed any time or space I had for blogging!

But now I'm back and I'm raring to go! I've decided to take part in Blogmas this year, which means I'll be posting EVERY DAY between December 1st and December 24th. I'm mildly worried that I've bitten off more than I can chew (I've also got insane deadlines at work as we get close to programme deadline!), but I've made a list, I've taken some photos, I reckon I can do it.

Before we get stuck into that, here's a look back at this month. It's been a bit painful, I've cried over taps, but it's also been super exciting, and reminded me that I have the most wonderful, supportive people in my life (yay you!).

1. Big news, I moved into my flat! I've talked about it quite a lot here - there were highs, there were lows, I've spent a lot of time covered in paint, and significantly more time than I expected not being able to live here. But it's beautiful! And I only slightly miss my old place.

2. I went out to a fancy awards do at Prestonfield House, and in an attempt to cover my very mucky hair (I didn't have a working shower at this point, and I'm rubbish at washing my hair in baths!), I put on my brand new, very massive Crown and Glory bow. This came in my Glitterati box and is a good example of why the box is great - I would never have bought it (feels far too out my comfort zone!), but I love it on!

3. I'm a sucker for a nice candle, and I couldn't resist this Urban Outfitters spruce soy wax candle. I'm planning to get my christmas tree next week, so this will do a good job of making my house smell of fir trees until a real one arrives.

4. I dragged my lovely friend Rae along to Eureka Edinburgh to learn about the science of space! We made aliens out of playdough in the art competition (because we're grown ups doing grown up things) and it was loads of fun.

5. I went along to the launch of the Tartan Blanket Co's pop-up shop in Leith, and got this lovely green blanket. I wanted them all!

6. I also was seriously taken with the artwork in their pop-up shop, but didn't take a note of the artist. I'll need to go back, this tiger belongs on my wall.

7. I finally started to unpack the boxes in my study, and rediscovered my old roller derby helmet! I used to skate with the Auld Reekie Roller Girls (I wasn't any good, but I tried!), and although I just don't have the time for it anymore, I do miss it a bit! This helmet was painted for me by one of the very talented girls in my league, and I love it so much. Now that I've got a bit more space, I can put it on show too, which is ace.

8. I've got a blog post about my bedroom coming up next week, but here's a sneak peek of my lovely new lamps. I never thought I'd be so excited about a bulb but I am and it's great.

9. More decorating chat... I bought this mask in Sri Lanka two years ago, and I love it. This is Mayura Raksha - the peacock devil who brings peace, harmony and prosperity to your life.

10. The weather has been absolutely grim this month, winter is definitely here! It's been a real test of my new flat - luckily it's super cosy, although I need to get a joiner out to fix my balcony door which rattles on windy days and gives me the fear! There's moments of loveliness though, today the sun came out (just briefly!) - how nice is that view?

11. I've got a massive list of blog posts that I'd hoped to do in November, so I've been catching up as fast as I can this weekend. I've got a couple of spots in the flat that will be ace for outfit posts, I'm hoping I can do these more regularly now.

12. And talking of outfit posts... my first Blogmas post is tomorrow and it features these dreamy gold brogues. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you where they're from!

OCTOBER CATCH UP

Geezo, October was stressful! I was so frazzled I spent the month battling bad skin (I've always been lucky with avoiding spots, so I don't know how to handle it when they do hit!), and prepping to move into my new flat... which I'm now in! The flat move hasn't been without MAJOR drama though (that will teach me to coo excitedly about it for weeks on end), but I'll update you on that later this week, when I have the mental strength to deal with it all...

Anyway, here's what October looked like for me.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. The weather continued (miraculously!) to be absolutely beautiful in October, with sunny days, blue skies and crisp Autumn leaves. It almost made up for how absolutely dreich the start of the summer had been. 

2. I got my hair cut and decided to do something a little different with the colour. I'm thinking of changing it up quite a bit next year (think dark, choppy, and short-ish!), so this time round I stayed bright and colourful. My hairdresser added pink tips to the end which I LOVED, but they faded super quickly and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to top up the colour at home!

3. I considered giving up sugar for a couple of months before Christmas (I did it earlier this year and it made me feel ace), but as this month was SO full-on, I realised I needed all I could to get me through! These massive doughnuts appeared at the Stockbridge Market one Sunday and I could not resist. 

4. Earlier this year Joshua found a Star Trek game in a charity shop, and as we're both suckers for dress up (and Star Trek), we held a mega themed games day! My costume was so easy to put together - black jeans, a black long sleeve top, a red boob tube, and an iron on patch. 

5. Josh also designed an amazing, massive and personalised command module for our gang to use (because he's an ace, mega thoughtful designer!), and we drank Star Trek themed cocktails all afternoon - this was a Beam Me Up Scotchie, and it was lethal!

6. Soba is continuing to be the world's grumpiest hedgehog, but I think he likes his life? Every month I worry that I'm feeding him too much and he's getting fat, and then I realise I have no idea what a fat hedgehog looks like...

7. But he still fits through all of his hedgehog tunnels and in his tiny house! 

8. I spent loads of time this month playing with Halloween makeup for my weekly tutorials. This was my favourite look - a super gory staple face, that looks quite realistic if you squint a bit! Despite all my pre-Halloween planning, my costume on the actual date was pretty rubbish - I had been painting my new flat all day so I was exhausted and couldn't face doing anything other than the most basic zombie make up. 

9. I was out in South Queensferry for work on the most freezing day (it gets pretty windy across the Forth!), but it's always cool to see the bridges - they are building a new one and it's just sort of magically rising from the water! 

10. I also dotted about the country again this month - going to Glasgow to visit the Turner Prize (more on that here), and down to London again for work. This was just a flying visit, but I got to stay in a super nice part of town, which helped make up for the train journey I had just had, where people totally disrespected the Quiet Coach (grrrr!). 

11. I have wanted a proper coffee machine for years, and moving house seemed like a good occasion to treat myself (I don't know why, seeing as I now have no money). Still, it's amazing and I'm so so glad I got it and can have lovely frothy coffee every day. 

12. Aaaaand finally, after weeks and weeks of waiting I finally got my house keys! It was traumatic from the moment I attempted to open the door, but I finally got in, and despite some (major) hiccups, it's getting there! I've been sharing loads of photos on instagram, and I will share some dreamy/drama stories from the new flat on Wednesday. Phew!

SEPTEMBER CATCH UP

This has been such a fun month! I've spent time hanging out with all of my favourite people, gone adventuring in the sunshine, and had time after a mad-cap August to catch up on sleep and recharge my batteries. I also can't believe how quickly it's gone by - this time next month I'll be collecting the keys to my new flat. EXCITING.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. This month I looked after my favourite cat for two weeks. I love that I'm Riley's holiday home, it is so nice to see him and get proper cat cuddles! Riley seemed to have a nice time too although he's not a good flat cat anymore, I learned quickly that he cannot be trusted near open windows!

2. The weather has been surprisingly lovely this month, but it's been nice to have some rainy autumn days too. I bought this candle from Primark and I really love it - it was a total bargain, has lasted ages and smells amazing!

3. I started growing this avocado plant earlier this year, and I'm so delighted to see how much it's grown! It's taken months to get this far, but now it has proper roots and looks like an actual plant. I should be able to plant it in a pot soon and then it'll turn into a tree!

4. I couldn't resist buying this amazing antique 1930s chest from an Edinburgh vintage store. It is massive, and is still covered in stickers from its travel around the world.

5. This photo makes me laugh so much - look how bored Riley is of my affection. Poor kitten.

6. My walk to work takes me by paths of trees, which are all turning orange and red and lovely. It's such a nice time of year!

7. I went to London for work, and found myself in a seriously posh part of town for meetings.

8. So posh, that I accidentally walked into the changing of the guard ceremony! Those horses are so massive and beautiful - the ceremony isn't much more than men with swords shouting at each other, but I'm glad I got to see it up close.

9. Once work was done, I had a weekend to catch up with my best pal. I've been wanting to go on the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio tour for AGES and we finally managed to get tickets! It was the best day, I almost wanted to cry with how amazing everything is. We got to go on the Hogwarts Express AND walk down actual Diagon Alley (so so so cool) and explore the Great Hall. It was the BEST.

10. Once the Harry Potter excitement was over, we headed to the other side of London and explored the seriously cool God's Own Junkyard - a warehouse packed full of amazing neon signs and artwork. There was a cute beer garden around the back too!

11. How adorable is this London street? I wish I lived in a turquoise house! I had a glorious last morning in London, strolling down streets like this in the beautiful sunshine, followed by HOURS sitting on a train stuck in the middle of England. It was a bit of an exhausting end to a glorious week.

12. Then on Sunday, Joshua and I went on a massive (40km!) cycle from Edinburgh out to my hometown, and sat in the shadow of my local ruined palace, drinking beers in the sunshine. It was such a delightful day!

Bring on October, the month of Halloween and home-ownership!

AUGUST CATCH UP

As always, my August revolves completely around Edinburgh's summer festivals. It's a seriously FULL ON four weeks of comedy and culture and super late nights with the nicest of people. I also managed to do some seriously grown up things in August (more on this soon!), so I'm pretty knackered now, and I'm glad to have some early nights where I don't have to do anything (I'm getting old).

Here's what last month looked like.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I spent most of my Fringe at the Gilded Balloon - a turreted Hogwarts-style building, that turns into a student union the rest of the year. It's got a lovely little secret bar on the top floor that is my favourite place to hang out in the festival - you're surrounded by old rooftops and fairy lights and millions of comedians, it is ace!

2. I'm also a fan of the massive cow that arrives in Edinburgh each year. One of the best shows I saw this year was Sam Simmons - he's a really silly but wonderful comedian. If he's performing anywhere near you, I highly recommend him!

3. In Edinburgh in August, almost every space is turned into a festival venue, and one of my favourites was the Hendrick's pop up bar. It was like walking into an eccentric Victorian's drawing room, filled with taxidermies and curiosities, and amazing cocktails. This one, the Hendricks Black Rose, was incredible - gin, cocchi rosa, cointreau, egg white, charcoal and rose dust.

4. It wasn't all partying! I read the new Jon Ronson book and I really enjoyed it! It looks at people who've been publicly shamed, the effect it's had on their life, and how it can take surprisingly little to rile up an internet storm. Definitely worth a read.

5. My favourite thing at the Festivals was, by far, the Harmonium Project by the Edinburgh International Festival (you can watch a short video at that link). It was an absolutely beautiful event,  animations where projected onto one of Edinburgh's most iconic buildings to the sounds of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. About 20,000 people came to watch it, and the atmosphere was amazing. Go EIF!

6. After a seriously miserable July, summer finally seemed to roll around, and August was filled with beautiful sunny evenings. It's easy to miss familiar sights, but I couldn't believe how beautiful the castle looked one night. It was golden and lovely, and absolutely everyone was stopping to look at it.

7. I went to see the amazing Michel Faber at the Book Festival. He was talking about his newest book, The Book of Strange New Things, and it was heart-breaking and beautiful. His wife was diagnosed with cancer as he was writing the novel, and he just spoke so beautifully about love and loss and life. I wish I had made it to more Book Festival events, but it was a treat to attend this one.

8. It's been a year since I got my undercut, and I still absolutely love it (and seem to be on my way to shaving my whole head!). I know it's going to be a nightmare to grow out, but I don't care - that still feels like a long, long way away.

9. It's Soba! He's still super cute, he's still super grumpy. Riley (the cat) is here to visit again, and Soba remains completely unconcerned by a cat that is fascinated by him, but is terrified by the sound of an unexpected sneeze. Hedgehogs are complicated creatures.

10. Autumn is on the way! I went for brunch at Canonmills (to a lovely little breakfast spot called the Water of Leith Bistro), and spotted these lovely little pumpkins and squashes outside Earthy. I've already had my first pumpkin spice latte of the year and I was SO excited about it. I'm such a loser.

11. My last night out at the Fringe was lovely, even if I was an idiot who didn't take a jacket and was FROZEN all night...

12. ...I went to this super cool pop-up coffee, doughnuts and absinthe bar (I want it to stay year-round!), saw the AMAZING Puddles Pity Party (seriously, look up his youtube videos! So good), watched Pappy's Fun Club for the first time, and stayed out til 4am with my brilliant pals.

Now for sleep!

JULY CATCH UP

I do this every year, I'm a bit of a baddie. As soon as the summer rolls round, I abandon any attempt to stick to my blogging schedule, and shelve my laptop for a few weeks. I've been a bit distracted with work and life lately (more on this soon!), so it's been nice to get some headspace and not fret about any upcoming features!

Now I'm back, I'm feeling a bit creative again, and I've been writing my monthly catch up posts for so long now, I couldn't let one slip!

So, yes yes yes, I know it's basically halfway through August already, but here's what I got up to in July.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. As soon as I returned from Croatia (which I will blog about very soon!), I had to speedily repack my bags and head west to Kelburn Garden Party. The Garden Party is a music, art and theatre festival set in the beautiful grounds of Kelburn Castle - Scotland's famous graffitied castle (isn't it beautiful?).

2. Apart from a torrential downpour on the festival's first night, we were lucky to have lots of sunshine and beautiful weather. The Castle is nestled next to the most beautiful glen, which had pop-up installations and sculpture threaded throughout, plus a little cave packed with blankets and beanbags. So perfect!

3. I've decided from now on I'm going to conquer all holiday blues by just immediately going on holiday again days after I return (ha, I wish!). Thanks Kelburn, you were ace!

4. My new favourite hobby is cooing over Soba, who remains as cute (and as grumpy) as ever. I think he's getting fat, but I can't tell, does that make me a bad hedgehog owner? Eep!

5. July was made up of long mornings and lazy breakfasts, in an attempt to get some rest before the madness of August started. This was one of my favourites: Joshua made me a breakfast in miniature, with quails eggs, tiny bacon, mini aubergine slices, tiny button mushrooms, and mini potatoes (made with a melon baller). It took him AGES (and was eaten very quickly), but was so sweet!

6. I dress pretty regularly like a five year old these days, so I couldn't pass up this jumper from H&M. Guttingly, it has just shrunk in the wash (making it appropriately sized for an actual five year old), and I'm weighing up whether it's worth buying again. Is that too insane?

7. I am a fan of subway tiles, and little hipster coffee shops, and bunches of wild flowers. This cafe in Stockbridge has all three!

8. I know it's a bit weird to take a selfie with a hedgehog, but Soba was looking cute, and I was having a good hair day! I was also dressed like I'd just come out of the 90s, wearing a strappy dress over a t-shirt. That's cool, right?

9. One of the perks of my job - I went out for dinner with the British Council, at a super fancy hotel in Edinburgh. A few glasses of wine in, I was seriously impressed with the gold-embossed pudding with a mini palace on it, SO cute.

10. A new farmers market has opened up round the corner from my flat, which means there's lots of interesting food stalls to go to each week... so much nicer than tesco! After my mini breakfast I was quite partial to more quails eggs - look how tiny they are!

11. It was a beautiful sunny day in Edinburgh, so Joshua and I went on a massive cycle. On our adventure we passed a big skateboard tournament and a biker's festival in an industrial state (which included a massive motorbike in the air? It was all a bit mad!). I've been watching loads of Sons of Anarchy recently, so it was cool to stumble across it, although we didn't stay for long.

12. August began with sunshine and pints with the loveliest of friends (and the cheekiest of dogs). Now we're over a week into the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and I am already totally knackered and in serious need of salad. Bring on the rest of the month!

JUNE CATCH UP

It's been such a fun month! Here's what June looked liked for me...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I went along to Edinburgh Zoo Nights on a beautiful sunny evening. It's a lot like most lates events, with the chance to explore with no kids around, beer in hand, but with lots of super cute animals! I've not been to the zoo for years, so it was ace to see their new dinosaur exhibit, and see the animals when they were a bit more active in the early evening.

2. My pal Sian and I went along to the Grey Goose Boulangerie Francois pop-up martini bar on Harvey Nichol's very beautiful rooftop terrace. Despite being the world's most difficult pop-up name to hashtag on instagram, the drinks were amazing and the weather was glorious. If all blogger events could be like this, I'd be a very happy girl!

3. My much-missed Riley cat came to stay with me for a few days. After my break up, Riley went to live with my ex's parents (rather than be shut up in my tiny flat), so it was really nice to have my purring pal for a visit! He's coming back for a longer cat holiday in September, and I am excited!

4. I've been a sucker for Jurassic Park/World this month because I am a MASSIVE CHILD (did you see my dinosaur wishlist?). I couldn't resist snapping this sign, seen outside of Artisan Roast, one of Edinburgh's best coffee shops.

5. After months of pretending it wasn't really happening, I actually ran my 10k Race for Life! I was so nervous beforehand, hated it for the first five minutes, then started to enjoy it (who would have guessed?!) and was delighted to see my parents and Joshua at the finish line. I think I might have caught the running bug!

6. I've definitely caught the doughnut bug. Immediately after finishing my race I went for a victory pint with my loved ones, then went home for a seriously lazy day on the sofa with my book and a lot of sugar. I'm really enjoying this book - it's an old sci fi by CS Lewis (he of Narnia fame), and it's so nicely written.

7. I told you I was a dinosaur loser, luckily my boyfriend is too! Dating a graphic designer has a few benefits, and custom-made Jurassic Park passes is one...

8. ...which we paired with Jurassic Park themed outfits to go and see Jurassic World. I know the film's had a bit of stick, but it was such an excellent nostalgia-fest for me, I think I would have loved it regardless of what actually happened.

9. I took a few photos of Soba for a pet photography blog post and had to keep a very watchful eye on Riley, who was FASCINATED by Soba. This is as close as they got (and Soba had zero interest in Riley), but I reckon if they had met properly, Riley would quickly realise that hedgehogs aren't to be messed with!

10. Since I was in Portugal last year I've developed a fondness for pasteis de nata - little custard tarts that you eat for breakfast (yum!). There's a new cafe in Stockbridge that has just started serving them, and they are so good!

11. The most exciting part of my month was that I went on holiday to Croatia and it was brilliant! I'll blog more about our trip in detail soon, but it had all you'd hope for on a holiday - beautiful sunshine, amazing architecture, secret beaches, good food, and loads and loads of time to read books under the sun.

12. I'm also chuffed that I didn't get any sunburn, just increased my freckles, but I did get bitten by a spider (and have to go to the doctor with a swollen arm, aaargh) and had a fairly traumatic incident with a sea urchin. I survived though!

MAY CATCH UP

I can't believe another month has been and gone, what happened to May? Here's what last month looked like for me...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I started the month with a really fun cocktail party with a few of my nearest and dearest. It was really fun (if a bit surreal to have a professional bartender in my house!), and exactly what I needed after the madness of April.

2. You've hopefully had a chance to read up about Soba, my pet hedgehog! Most of my spare time is now spent gazing at how adorable he is (SO adorable), even if he continues to be pretty grumpy!

3. My clever pal Sian launched Book Club for Drunks at Edinburgh's Paradise Palms, a proper book club held on the third Tuesday of each month, where you chat novels and drink along with the book (what a good combination). I crashed the first meeting, and got to feel like I was in uni again, where I tried to talk intelligently about a book I hadn't read. It was lots of fun though!

4. Edinburgh's pop-up art festival, Hidden Door, appeared in May, taking over an abandoned section of the city and filling it with art, theatre, music, and cinema for the week. I had such a lovely time exploring this year's festival, and my favourite part was this piece - beautiful rainbow paper planes.

5. My pal Niki & I also had our portrait sketched by a pencil artist (which I loved, even though I was wearing the world's most boring outfit).

6. I was treated to the most amazing afternoon tea at the newly renovated Colonnades at the Signet Library (which opens tomorrow to the public!). This was just the most delightful food in a beautiful place - I will blog about this properly very soon!

7. The 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival launched their programme and it looks a bit exciting (you can watch their festival trailer here!). I'm currently working my way through what they have on, highlighter in hand, and I'll share my picks soon.

8. My mane was getting a bit unruly, so I went back to Dean Jones for a chop and to get my ends lightened up, and I feel so much better. I love my hairdresser - they are great at doing exactly what I want, and they leave me in peace to read my book when I'm there. Perfect!

9. Edinburgh is still temperamental, as always (Scottish summers can't be trusted), but I still love my city, and I love my neighbourhood. This spot is about two minutes from my flat. I walk by it every day, and it makes me so happy on sunny mornings.

10. I can't resist beautiful stationery, and this journal from Anthropologie was no exception (even if it was FAR TOO PRICEY for a notebook). But I couldn't resist! It was in my favourite colour and everything!

11. It's been absolutely ages since I blogged about what books I'm reading, but I'm thinking about starting it up again. I've just finished The Beautiful Land and I really enjoyed it - it's an end of the world dystopian sci-fi thriller, with a lot of angst, and a lot of love.

12. Aaaand my most exciting achievement this month - I'm still running! I'm not sure how I managed it, but I ran 9k (!!!) last week, which feels like such a huge achievement, considering two months ago I couldn't run more than two minutes at a stretch without getting winded. My 10k race is in a week and a half and I still feel nervous, but I also feel strong. It's exciting!

APRIL INSTAGRAM

I'm a bit behind the times with this, I know, I know. Without really meaning to, I gave myself a bit of a break from blogging as I got used to life post science festival (aka got over post-festival lurgy, and had loads of lie ins!).

So here's a belated look at what April was like for me. (Shhh, let's not focus on the fact we're already a third of the way into May...).

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. Did I tell you that I got a hedgehog? I got a hedgehog! Meet Soba, he's an African Pygmy hedgehog, and he's teeny tiny and sleeps a lot. Hedgehogs are quite shy pets, so he can be a bit huffy around me, but is turning into the perfect flat pet. I'll write a proper post on him soon!

2. Working at a Science Festival means you often have a lot of weird and wonderful conversations. The week before we launched, I had a frantic couple of days trying to track down a twelve foot caterpillar, which had been delivered to the wrong place, and was the cause of many hilarious conversations (because really, how do you lose a TWELVE FOOT caterpillar?!). Don't worry reader, we were reunited in the end.

3. As part of the Science Festival we curated a beautiful exhibition exploring light in all of its forms. How the Light Gets In is running in Summerhall until May 22nd, and it's free! If you're in Edinburgh, it's absolutely worth a visit.

4. Festival time is one of working hard and playing hard too. I'm lucky to have such a fun gang of science pals... makes the long, long days definitely worth it.

5. Although I was glad of a morning off! Now the days are longer my flat is full of light - in the morning, my favourite spot to sit is in my window seat, and in the evenings my bedroom is bright and lovely.

6. My pal Simon came over to perform at the festival, and did a seriously intense (but very entertaining!) maths talk that completely went over my head. If anyone's looking to programme a stand-up mathematician at their event, get Simon, just so I can hang out with him again.

7. I also managed to sneak out of festival duties to see my pal Kirstin launch her new book, Fishnet. I had high hopes that it would be good (I worked with Kirstin when I was at The List, so I knew she was an ace writer), and I loved it - could not put it down at all. It's an angry, funny, unapologetic look at the sex industry, and is well well well worth a read.

8. Extra benefits of having a pet hedgehog? They are seriously photogenic animals, which means you can't resist setting up super cute photos. Look at his tiny paws!

9. It was my friend Murray's birthday (happy birthday Muzzy!), so to celebrate, Joshua helped me make this AMAZING Fast & the Furious card. Muzz and I have a guilty soft spot for F&F, so it was the obvious choice in ridiculous themed cards... but who knew I so suited Vin Diesel's arms?!

10. You can't really ever trust the weather in Scotland, but summer definitely seems to be on its way. Blue skies and beautiful blossom make life so much nicer. I've already had two bbq's this year too, but have already been absolutely drenched within the last week.

11. Warmer days also brings impromptu trips to pubs by the seaside! I love living in Leith, views like this are only ten minutes away by bicycle.

12. Aaaaand one of my favourite things - my local, sometimes-open sometimes-mysteriously-closed, flower shop was open, and had these beautiful blooms for only a couple of pounds. Buy yourself flowers!

FEBRUARY INSTAGRAM

How is it March already? It was Christmas mere minutes ago! Next thing you know it'll be summer (which is fine by me, as I am getting fed up of wintery weather!). Anyway, despite passing by in a mere moment, I packed quite a lot into February. Here's what I go up to...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. The start of the month was pretty busy, with a few late nights at work, and a flurry of report-writing (not my favourite of tasks!). Luckily my team are lovely (and know how to get on my good side), and brought me loads of doughnuts! I'm giving up sugary treats for all of March, but I so wish I could have a doughnut now!

2. My weak spot in life is Anthropologie's house & home section (seriously, I want it all!), so when I saw this weird little trinket dish I could not resist. I didn't know where to put it at first, but it turns out a few tealights fit perfectly into it, so it makes a lovely candleholder. Treat yo self!

3. The nights are finally getting lighter, and a couple of weeks ago the most beautiful pinky-purple sky appeared in Edinburgh. This photo was taken from my bedroom window and my whole flat was bathed in soft pink light, it was gorgeous.

4. It was my lovely friend Jules' birthday (happy birthday Jules!) and Joshua & I thought it was a themed party, so dressed up as Jules from her gothier days. Turns out it was NOT a themed party, but I actually really loved my grungy makeup (and will probably blog a tutorial soon...).

5. It's tulip season, hooray! I love this time of year, when you can fill your house with tulips and daffodils for only a few pounds. I have to try really hard to resist buying tulips every time I go to the shop, I just love them so much.

6. My friend Eilidh got a baby hedgehog, and she is the CUTEST thing ever! Hedgehogs are surprisingly soft and cuddly (the spines feel like the bristles on a hairbrush), and I was so won over, I am joining the hedgehog-owner club, and should be picking up mine at the end of the month. EEEEEK. Watch this space for spiky updates!

7. The Edinburgh Science Festival programme launched and I am super proud (and a little exhausted already). There's only a month to go until the festival kicks off, and there's so much to do (aaaah), but I work with brilliant people and am super chuffed to be part of such a cool science gang.

8. We also have seriously adorable artwork this year (designed by my very clever boyfriend), which makes for super cute cupcake toppers!

9. A good month is always marked by how many weekends are spent eating yum breakfast and drinking lovely coffee, and this month excelled at it!

10. I also had a really delicious/exhausting Sunday pub roast at the The Lioness of Leith, where we got a whole chicken (whaaaat), and a whole tray of sides. This was so nice, I immediately had to have a lie down afterwards.

11. February also saw my very first trip to the ballet. I was invited along to Northern Ballet's Romeo & Juliet, and I was worried I'd feel a bit out of my depth (because ballet is just so cultured and grown up), but it was absolutely beautiful!

12. Aaand to round off an absolutely FREEZING day, I sought shelter in a Hotel Chocolat cafe for the richest, smoothest hot chocolate I've ever had!

Here's hoping this month is a little bit warmer...

JANUARY INSTAGRAM

January is always dark and cold and a bit miserable after the non-stop merriment of December, so I've enjoyed having quite a lazy month, curled up with books and netflix, with the heating constantly on! Here's what it looked like.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I'd been eyeing up Rifle Paper Co's In Bloom series for a while online, so it was a delight to stumble across one when I was book shopping with my nephew. I've never actually read Little Women, so I'm looking forward to starting it soon!

2. It's been a whole year since I became this beardy Australian's girlfriend, and I am very, very happy about it. He's even managed to convince me to play a TERRIFYING zombie video game with him. It must be love.

3. I've been banishing grey January days by filling my house with fresh flowers. Joshua got me this beautiful bunch and I love them! So bright and happy.

4. Last year I was quite a half-hearted blogger, but now I feel so much more motivated. Since the start of the month I've been posting three times a week, and I'm really enjoying it again! This posey selfie was from the day I made crayon lipstick - I think tutorials are my favourite posts to write.

5. For the last few months, Scotland Re:Designed have had a pop-up shop in Edinburgh, showcasing seriously cool Scottish designers. I went along to a blogger event they had recently (managing to avoid the temptation of being in my pyjamas by 7pm), and seriously lusted over the Obscure Couture corner. Could I pull off a massive fluffy coat? Probably not, but I want to try!

6. A few months ago I started thinking about getting a pet again, which has turned into fairly obsessive animal researching (I like to be prepared!). I really love birds and have heard wonderful things from bird owners (alongside bemusement and mild horror from non-bird owners).... so I'm thinking a cockatiel could be a good idea. If you've ever had a bird, please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!

7. It was my friend Amy's 30th birthday (happy birthday Amy!) and as it's the UN International Year of Light (obvs), she had a light-themed party... complete with UV lights that made your teeth light up. We thought this was hugely hilarious.

8. I've already blogged about it, so I won't bang on about it again, but smoothies. I LOVE THEM.

9. And my final day of a very uneventful January was spent in a cosy pub catching up with a lovely friend who is just back from a three-month adventure around the world (I'm not jealous at ALL).

I'm excited to see what February will bring! Hopefully slightly less ice?

DECEMBER INSTAGRAM

Hello! I hope you all had a lovely festive season, and are feeling refreshed and ready to take on the new year. I took a few weeks off blogging to eat, drink and be merry and it was just so much fun. Here's what December looked like for me...

1. At the start of the month I went along to the opening of Cambridge Satchel Co's new Edinburgh store, which is packed full of beautiful bags and satchels in a rainbow of colours. I have a brown satchel which I got several years ago, and I still use it almost every day. They are such perfect bags!

2. I also was sent a bouquet of beautiful Christmassy flowers from Debenhams, which have helped make my house feel suitably festive! These (the cinnamon spice bunch) were sent three weeks ago and have held up so well - I've picked out a few wilting blooms, but the majority of the bouquet is still going strong! Debenhams are also offering you all 25% off a luxury bouquet - just use the code DFBLOG25 to get money off a flower delivery.

3. One of the best things about December? Mince pies! I caved early this year, and mince pies became a pretty staple part of my diet from late November on. They're just so good! I will miss you, flaky pastry pals.

4. Here's a good treat cheat I learned from Nikki McWilliams' blog - make mini christmas puddings super quickly, by drizzling icing over tunnocks teacakes. Perfect if you have no time (or are, ahem, feeling a bit worse for wear after a festive night out).

5. Joshua went full hipster this year, and embraced beard baubles (stealing all of my kirby grips in the process). I went full christmas with a velvet red dress and massive glitter bow.

6. For the Science Festival's christmas lunch, my lovely pal Amy & I took charge of the organised fun (the best kind of fun), and made everyone do a big singalong, with the words from 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland' turned into 'Working in a Science Wonderland' (see what we did there?). It was TOO much fun, and luckily our colleagues went along with it!

7. It was my birthday just before Christmas, and Joshua painted the cutest card for me. I love cacti! (He's alright too).

8. We went on a birthday adventure to stay in the most amazing romany caravan in the Scottish Borders (I'll blog about this in more detail soon), and went on a big explore of the countryside - finding this amazing abandoned saw mill. It was totally untouched (the saw blades were still in position!) and was such an exciting (and spooky) place to discover.

9. Another favourite thing about December - wreaths! I wish they could be up year round, it's so lovely to see them everywhere.

10. In the season of excess, it's totally appropriate to drink massive bloody marys, garnished with king prawns AND boiled eggs AND bacon, yeah?

11. This was our christmas pudding which was super appropriate for an Australian/Scottish Christmas, as it was half panettone, half ice cream (plus millions of fruit, dessert wine and dark chocolate, mmmmm!).

12. And this was my new year look! I went super glittery with a Crown & Glory crown, and used Urban Decay glitter to line underneath my eyes (I'm not sure if you can see that clearly, but it was so sparkly). I spent Hogmanay surrounded by wonderful friends, singing Auld Lang Syne and watching the fireworks from Edinburgh castle.

2014 was a good one. Bring on 2015!

PERSONALISED MARSHMALLOWS

If you're a bit instagram-obsessed, you might have heard of Boomf - a company that prints marshmallows with your instragram photos. It's a bit ridiculous (of course it's a bit ridiculous), but it's also a cute, quirky idea, that might be good if you're still feeling a bit stuck for Christmas present inspiration!

A little while ago, Boomf got in touch to offer me a box to try out. Each box contains nine mallows, measuring 4 x 4cm (fitting perfectly in a mug of hot chocolate, as you can see above!), and I have to say, it is surprisingly difficult to choose what ones to print!

Boomf box* - £15

In the end I went with a photo of my best pal Steph (as I knew she'd find it hilarious to be on a marshmallow), as well as a few food-themed instagrams (I loved the idea of a fried egg marshmallow!).

The printing quality seems pretty good overall - photos were a wee bit fuzzy, but I think that's got to be expected! The marshmallows taste nice too (assuming you aren't put off by eating your own face), and have a slight vanilla flavour.

A box costs £15, which is pretty pricey for marshmallows, but I think they'd be an ace one-off treat or super personalised sugary gift. Yum!

NOVEMBER INSTAGRAM

What a fun month! I adventured in the sunshine, ate super tasty food, saw lovely friends, hibernated under a blanket on freezing nights, and managed to start my Christmas shopping like an organised person. And now it's the December (the best month of the year!). YES.

Here's what November looked like for me...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I started the month on holiday in Portugal (and blogged about it here and here if you want to read more). We found a fish market in Lagos and cooked an amazing feast for our last night (well, Joshua cooked it. I made chips). It was lovely, I'm so happy that I have forced myself into liking fish!

2. We also cycled along some cliff tops, swam in the sea, lay on a secluded beach, and watch the sunset from this beach, glass of sangria in hand. I'd like to be on holiday every day, thank you.

3. Back to Scotland, and I went to a work thing with Visit Scotland, to look ahead to Scotland's year of food and drink. For breakfast (?) they served these AMAZING melty tunnocks things, which I declined (as it was 9am!), in the hope of eating one at lunch instead. To my horror, they didn't appear at lunchtime, and since then I have been dreaming of how I might recreate my own melty tunnocks wonder.

4. Being a blogger definitely has its perks, and one of those this year was working with No7 on their #tadah festive campaign. I was sent a few early Christmas presents (packaged up in seriously cute No7 snowflake paper), left to play, and I put together this so-easy-it's-cheating festive makeup look.

5. I also went along to a Christmassy event at Yuu Beauty, a lovely wee (and award-winning!) salon in Edinburgh, for a wee explore and to watch some treatment demos (which included getting my face scanned in a UV light thing that highlighted dry patches - weird!). I think I'll be back soon to try out a facial, so a more detailed post will be coming soon!

6. Aaaaand Christmas again! Each year I say to myself that I'm going to start my present shopping early, but I think this is the first year I've actually managed it! I've been on a mission to try and buy as much as I can from etsy and local shops, and it's so nice knowing that I don't have to spend my entire November paycheck on panicked present buying!

7. One of my missions this year was to have fresh flowers year-round, and I've done pretty well. These are surprisingly pretty flowers I picked up in Tesco, and they've lasted for ages too.

8. Edinburgh's Christmas celebrations officially started, and I went up to St Andrews Square to drink some mulled wine, and watch Scotch & Soda, a seriously cool gypsy circus act. Two days later, we were back for more hot toddy (I love hot booze!), and mildly terrifying ice skating (I didn't fall over though, hooray!).

9. We have a couple of 3D printers at work, so I printed the cutest fennec fox (I love foxes)...

10. ... and this, obviously very sensible, foxy business card holder! 3D printers are SO COOL - did you know that you can print things with moving parts? And you can print with sugar? Whaaaaaaat. So cool.

11. Aaaand, back to Christmas (sorry). I didn't have a Christmas tree last year, so I was super excited to get a real tree again (and even more so, because Ikea have the very, very best deal going). I decorated it this early (a bit early, I know), but I love it and it makes me so happy.

12. Foxes again! There's a lovely shop near me that sells all sorts of interesting wine, beers and spirits, and I'm on a bit of a mission to try out all of their craft beers. This one didn't disappoint!

OCTOBER INSTAGRAM

Okay, okay, I know this October recap is a wee bit late, but I'm just back from holiday (& missing the beach already!), so you'll have to forgive me.

Here's what October looked like...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I had so much fun doing ridiculous halloween tutorials this month, and I think my favourite was my super hipster bambi-esque look!

2. Thanks to the lovely chaps at Google #CityExperts I got to spend the evening in wonderful lovecrumbs, making autumn wreaths with Pyrus. I love lovecrumbs - if you are in Edinburgh and haven't been yet, get there pronto for the cutest cafe with the very best cake.

3. This is the most excitable photo of my friend Eilidh & I, but we had just won two awards for the Science Festival at the Scottish Event Awards, & we were HAPPY. Yay science!

4. Here's the wreath I made with Pyrus - I absolutely love it! It was such a fun class. They demonstrated how to do two different types of wreaths, then left us with a massive pile of foraged treats to work with. I wasn't really sure what to do (and felt a wee bit nervous when I started), so I ended up winding round loads of branches to make my nesty-looking wreath. As I didn't use any fresh leaves or berries, it still looks as pretty as the day I made it. So pleased!

5. As it's freezing, I've started knitting again! I haven't knitted in years, so I've stuck to a super simple pattern, but it's going to be so warm and cosy. I had forgotten how relaxing it is to knit, and it's stopped me fiddling with my phone when I watch tv, which is a habit that I hate!

6. Michel Faber is one of my favourite authors (the Crimson Petal and the White is the most beautiful, clever, heartbreaking book), so I was seriously excited when his new book arrived on my door! Isn't it beautiful?! I'll do a review shortly...

7. I had already planned to go to Red Raw at The Stand with my pal Muzzy (a beginner's comedy showcase for a bargainous £2), then we found out that Dylan Moran was trying out new material. So much fun. Support your local comedy club!

8. Then it was time for my holiday, and I got to spend almost a full week in London hanging out with my wonderful best girl, Steph.

9. Steph was prepping for her next movie so we were on several missions across London, but made time to go to Tatty Devine and get bestie necklaces. This is a quote from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, which I really love.

10. Then it was Halloween, and I looked terrifying (Steph was a 1D fangirl with glittery lipstick and all). We went out to Camden and it was SO BUSY! I realised why I normally go to house parties on Halloween...

11. One of the best things about being on holiday? Massive brunches! I wish I could have pancakes everyday.

12. Aaaand November started with a super lazy night on the sofa, watching Doctor Who, with our pumpkins happily flickering away. What a fun month!

SEPTEMBER INSTAGRAM

September is always a bit of a weird month. After the mayhem (and lack of sleep) during August, September tends to be a few weeks of trying to catch up on sleep, spend as little money as possible, and just trying to recharge as a human.

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. The month started with a trip to the Secret Herb Garden, and the chance to make lovely flower crowns - which was so much fun to do (I wish I had the supplies and excuses to wear flower crowns every day!). Next month I'm going to an Autumn Wreath workshop with florist superheroes Pyrus, and I'm so excited. 

2. I also got the chance to make my own beeswax candle, which smells amazing (and I don't want to burn, because I love it!). 

3. I was feeling seriously scruffy so I went to get my brows sorted out at Benefit's Brow Bar. Getting your brows done in the middle of John Lewis isn't the most relaxing thing in the world, but I'm always really pleased with how they do brows (and £18 for a tint and wax is a bargain compared to HD brows at spas!).

4. I also bought another eyeshadow palette by Sleek Makeup (who I used in my smoky eye makeup tutorial). This one has a lot of pinky and coppery colours, which I am really enjoying for autumn. 

5. This month has also included a lot of deadlines, late nights at work and slightly frazzled days. To balance this out, I was able to borrow a pal of a pal's pup, and go for a really lovely long walk. It made me realise just how much I miss having a dog, and how excellent long walks are for clearing your head!

6. I am a sucker for my local florist, and have fallen into the habit of buying myself flowers whenever they happen to be open (as they do seem to do strange hours). I loved the blues and purples on these.

7. Earlier this year I got to try on a really amazing Tatty Devine necklace, which was being featured as part of the Science Festival's exhibition about maker culture. I fell completely in love, and have dreamed of owning one all year. And look!! My very wonderful boyfriend surprised me with one after a trip to London, and it's AMAZING. It takes them five hours to make each dinosaur necklace because it's so intricate. 

8. This part of September was rubbish though. My beautiful bike was stolen from outside my work (by teenagers, aaaargh) and despite reporting the theft to the police, and getting a really helpful response on twitter, I seriously doubt I'll get it back. It's not really worth anything. It's old and a bit slow, but I love it, and it was really horrible to have it taken.

9. I'd heard lots of people rave about Tiger, but hadn't been that impressed the few times I had popped in... obviously I was completely wrong! Look at these meant-to-be-mugs-but-actually-are-the-best-cacti-planters-in-the-land! So very good.

Summer update

Hello! It's been a while, hasn't it?

I've been trying to write about why I took a break from blogging this summer, but really, what does it matter? The sun has been out, friends have been wonderful, adventures have been had, and taking the time to blog just wasn't a priority. But I miss writing here! So, here's an attempt to get back into a bit of a routine, with a big summer update.

1. Somehow Scotland seems to have lucked out, and has actually had proper summer weather this year. Scottish behaviour dictates that you MUST go outside at any hint of sunshine... even if terrifying clouds like this are approaching!

2. My best girl was working in Scotland on a film, which meant we were able to sneak in some quality pal time while she was up. If London and Edinburgh could be a little bit closer, that would be great.

3. A lovely wee florist set up a stall at Stockbridge market, and I couldn't resist treating myself to this £3 bargain (which lasted for weeks!).

4. The Science Festival had a summer party sports day, which basically was a big excuse to dress up (in headbands and bunches, obv), wear neon war paint, and drink gin in a field.

5. I was such a wimp about doing organised sport though, so I whinged about it loads in the run up, and then ended up having a super fun time (I'm aware that I'm a total nightmare). I was then given a rosette, which really just encouraged my bad behaviour, but I do like it a lot!

6. Josh & his flatmates organised a barbecue, and the very best bit was this beautiful ice flower bowl that Lucy made. It was heaped with fresh summer fruits and just was the most stunning thing!

7. Google #City Experts held another party, this time in the beautiful Signet Library. It was set up as an indoor picnic, so it had amazing picnic baskets, giant garden gnomes, and flowers hanging from the ceiling.

8. I live next to a massive park, and it's been lovely to spend so much of this summer reading outside. The Island is a book I picked up from a tiny lifeboat shop on the Isle of Mull, when we went adventuring across Scotland earlier this summer. It's by the author who wrote Jaws, and it's pretty creepy.

9. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am 28, and shouldn't really paint fruit on my nails. But then I did it anyway, because it's summer!

10. Have you heard of Lucky Dip Club yet? It's a seriously cute service that sends surprise personalised packages to you each month. These days the only post I ever get is bills (or spam), so fox badges (and other super cute surprises) are very welcome!

11. I didn't ever get round to sorting out curtains for my flat, and have now totally embraced curtain-free living. I actually think I sleep so much better now... I wake up with natural light and birds singing, and absolutely love being able to look at the stars while I lie in bed. The new (slightly ridiculous) addition to my room is my massive flowers, which I helped myself to (with vague permission) from Google's picnic party.

12. And then it was August! The world's biggest arts festival rolled into town, and life got even busier...

13. One of my favourite fringe things to do is Late n Live - the Gilded Balloon show that starts at 1am, runs until 5am, and is always ridiculous and hilarious (and knackering!). You can't make any plans for the following day, but it's so worth it!

14. Hot Dub Time Machine is turning into a fringe favourite too! It's a dance party that takes you through the decades, and it's so much fun. The day after going to Hot Dub was slightly less fun though... I'd been dancing until 4am, and then had to get up to go to a lunchtime gin event the next day (urggghhh).

15. The very wonderful Book Festival ran this month too, which gave me loads of excuses to hang out in the beautiful Charlotte Square gardens.

16. Ladybird Likes is a designer who makes nice things for nice people. She was looking for phrases to put on her new range of banner necklaces & picked my idea, so I got one as a gift, and I love it! They'll be on sale in her shop soon, alongside all her other ace wooden accessories and jewellery.

17. Sometimes work can be stressful (deadlines are never fun, are they?), but sometimes we play with GIANT BUBBLES. How cool is this? It turns out the secret to making amazing giant bubbles is actually a bit mucky. Who knew.

18. One of the best things about August is that everyone comes out to play, and there's so many chances to hang out with wonderful people. Here are some of those wonderpals.

19. Taking a break from fringe fun... it was my friend Emma's birthday, so Joshua and I baked her this epic summer fruits cake. We then couldn't fit it in a cake carrier, so had to go on a slightly perilous cake adventure, but it all arrived to the birthday girl in one piece!

20. I chopped my hair! I'll blog about this in a bit more detail, because this hair cut feels a bit more rebellious than normal for me, but basically, I got an undercut and I bloody love it. I think everyone should shave their head now. It feels so good!

21. Thanks to tactical team ticket buying, I managed to get a ticket to THE book fest event of the summer - George R. R. Martin talking about Game of Thrones! It was really, really great. He chatted loads about what inspired the books (Scotland is definitely up there!), about how he writes female characters so well (basically not being an idiotic sexist writer, but realising that female characters are actually human), and fan theories, and how they affect his writing now. It was so interesting!

22. At the end of August, we went to Doune the Rabbit Hole, a lovely wee festival near Stirling. Obviously, that meant I had to wear flowers in my hair...

23. ... and explore this beautiful countryside. As well as all of the music and activities the festival offered, Josh & I went off adventuring a few times. We clambered over hills, discovered loads of tree swings, paddled in streams (with tiny fish that nibbled our feet), and on our last morning, got up for a swim in the FREEZING river. It was such a nice way to end a manic month.

24. AND when we were there, I had a go at fire hooping! This time last year I couldn't keep up a hula hoop for more than ten seconds, so hooping with actually flames (that made terrifying swooshing noises, and were seriously hot) was so scary/exciting!

So that's my summer. There were many days where things were a bit lazier (and less interesting to photograph), but all of the moments - busy, calm, sunny, or drizzley - were exactly how I wanted to spend my time. I feel like I was able to take this summer on my own terms, which I didn't have last year, and that makes me all sorts of content.

I hope you all had good summers too. I'll be back. x