April Photo Diary: Easter, Pins, The Big Moon

April has been a quiet enough month because I've been trying to get all my assignments finished but I did manage to squeeze in a few gigs!

I went to see The Big Moon at Rise in Bristol. I haven't been to this record shop before and I really liked it, they have such a wide selection and they also sell vintage clothes. Downstairs they have a coffee bar and a stage. It was great to see The Big Moon again and hear some of their new songs for the first time. 

I pre-ordered their new vinyl Love in the 4th Dimension with Rise and I was chuffed to get a limited edition vinyl :) They offer 10% off pre-orders for vinyl so its such a good place to buy new releases. 

I also went to see Pins in Cardiff with my boyfriend. Pins are one of my favourite bands to see live. They just keep getting better. My favourite songs from the new EP called Bad Thing are Aggrophobe which features the one and only Iggy Pop and the song Bad Thing

They invited some of us up on stage for a little dance, as you can see I was really going for it :P

I went home for Easter this month and just had a quiet weekend, catching up on essays while munching on chocolate

We also had an 80th party for my grandad when I went home. It was more like a wedding than a party with the amount of food and music.

I wore this fab trench coat from ASOS over the tea dress featured in my last post. I also wore a fluffy peach bag and peach shoes. I've been loving this mac so much this month, its such a classic peach and the quality is amazing.

I went to a lock in at Cabot Circus this month. I didn't really see much that I wanted but I did pick up a few basics including this cute lover tee which is now sadly sold out and Joni shorts from Topshop. I also got this month's issue of Dazed and Confused because the interview with Lana Del Rey looks so good. 

This is a picture from a few days ago when I got my hair-cut and I finished my last ever exam!!

Next month I'm going to Paris (again) and I'm going to see The Kills (again) I'm so predictable haha 

November Photo Diary: Paris, Pins and The Damned

this month I went to Paris for a weekend as a last minute birthday present for Chris, it was so nice seeing Paris in the autumn even if the weather wasn't great, the autumn leaves made up for it

we went back to the restaurant we loved last time, Zero Zero Sevres in Saint Germain des Pres, and it was just as good :) 

on our first night we visited Serge Gainsbourg's house which hasn't been changed since his death in 1991 with his collection of art, furniture and instruments still intact. You can read more about it here

it is covered in lots of graffiti like this one of Jane and Serge

the next day we went to Montmartre because we didn't get a chance to see it last time, I really loved this area and its possibly one of my favourite spots in Paris now. We visited the Moulin Rouge and then had lunch in a cafe beside it

we also went to a market that morning and bought this France Gall record, there were so many cool ornaments and anitques, I would have loved to had an extra suitcase and the ability to haggle in French 😄

near the Sacre Coeur there is a square called the Place Du Tertre where you can buy art or get a portrait made for you

there are really create views from the Sacre Coeur, I would love to go there again in the Summer when its not as cloudy

Montmartre is full of cute little scenes like this one (btw you can tell Im freezing)

we also went to the Arc de Triomphe, it was remembrance weekend and the commemoration of the Paris attacks that took place last year so there were extra flowers laid underneath

it rained a lot that evening but the streets still looked pretty, we walked past the famous Cafe De Flore on our way to a metro station (a lot of the stops were closed for renovation so finding our way around was difficult)

on the last morning we went to see the Eiffel Tower again, this time we wanted to view it from the other side - here is me badly imitating this Francoise Hardy picture 

we also accidentally found the bridge that is featured in the film Last Tango in Paris

I picked up a few souvenirs this time :)

another great thing that happened in November was the release of Johnny Marrs book. I started reading it on the way to Paris but I haven't been able to finish it because of uni work :( I can't wait until the Christmas break to finish it

I pre-ordered the copy from Waterstones so its signed too !!!

I also picked up a few things from Lush this month, I love the Christmas collection, I just want to try everything

its starting to feel a lot like Christmas, I havent totally gotten into the Christmas spirit yet but I've started buying presents for people and Im getting excited now, I really need to go ice skating or something to get in the festive spirit

we also went to see Pins this month at the Fleece. They were supporting Honeyblood and there set was so good. If you haven't heard of them already you should totally look them up because they are one of the best UK bands out there

I really loved this outfit I wore to Pins - the leopard print coat is from pull and bear, the mesh top from river island, the velvet bralet from new look, the velvet jeans from topshop and the boots from office (so much goes into an outfit 😅)

I also went home this month for the first time since the 5th of September, it was really nice being home and I made good use of my time by eating four meals a day hehe

I got my Christmas present early this year because I'm going home for Christmas soon and I wanted to set up the record player before I go. The turntable is by Audio Technica and the speakers are by Logitech, I'm really happy with them and I can't wait to play the records I bought when I didn't have a record player. I've been using my Dads record player for years so its so cool to have a new one :)

I went to the Damned for the first time on the last day of November. I seen them in Motion in Bristol which was absolutely freezing but there were so much fun and we had a great night :)

This post is so long, I should really start doing these updates weekly 😛 (the new emojis are weird but I still intend on using them)

The Statement Jacket

left to right: leather jacket - Gucci S/S 16, denim jacket - Marc Jacobs S/S 16, embroidered bomber - Gucci S/S 16, Marc Jacobs S/S 16

The spring summer collections by Gucci and Marc Jacobs have set the trend this year for statement outerwear. 2016 is all about customizing your beloved denim jacket or investing in painted leather jacket or an embroidered bomber. I've found some amazing jackets on the high street that are pretty similar to the high end styles we seen on the runways last year.

The Leather Jacket

1. PU Jacket by Goldie at Topshop

2. A Girl is a Gun Painted Jacket by Elizabeth Thilsley

3. Memo Biker jacket by The Ragged Priest

The first jacket by Goldie is available online at Topshop. It has really cute embroidered daisies placed over the sleeves and lapels. It is a more toned down version of the embroidered leather jacket and is also really good value at only £58. The second jacket is a hand painted vintage leather jacket by Elizabeth Thilsley. She makes one of kind leather jackets with sassy slogans painted onto the back. She is launching her collection at Liberty London this week where she will be selling 24 bespoke hand painted leather jackets. The bright pink leather biker jacket from The Ragged Priest is a real stand out piece. It comes with an assortment of slogan badges so you can customize the jacket however you like

The Bomber

1. River Island Satin Floral Bomber

2. ASOS Bomber Jacket with Metallic Trim

3. Topshop Velvet Bomber Jacket

The purple satin bomber with embroidered floral detail is a really good imitation for the Gucci embroidered silk bomber. River Island also sell the bomber in black, silver and pink. I love this ASOS bomber jacket because its comes in a bright yellow with a metallic trim. Its really eighties and can be customized to look like the Marc Jacobs bomber with a few enamel pins. I think the black velvet bomber from Topshop has some serious Gucci vibes. The floral embroidery gives the jacket a vintage feel and can really make an all black outfit

The Denim Jacket

1. Liquor and Poker Oversized Denim Jacket with Black Slogan at ASOS

2. Monki Embroidered Organic Denim Jacket

3. Bone Rattler Denim Jacket The Ragged Priest

There are some amazing denim jackets on ASOS this year. I think the first one with the black spray paint and the phrase 'Didn't Get Caught' really stands out. I love the over sized fit too. The second one by Monki has some really cute embroidered phrases and symbols contained within the upper back section. I love the black denim jacket by the Ragged Priest because it has an assortment of hand painted symbols that are unique to every jacket.

1. ASOS Denim Girlfriend Jacket with Badges

2. Topshop Moto Black Badge Denim Jacket

3. The Ragged Priest Splash Denim Jacket

The first denim jacket by ASOS has a number of patches and detailing including a slogan on the back that says 'Daydreamer'. I think its a really good price at €67 considering the amount of detail on it. The black denim jacket from Topshop is a bit more punk than the previous jackets. It has a number of patches on the front, sleeve and a statement patch on the back. The last jacket is another Ragged Priest beauty. It is in more of a kawaii style as it has pastel pink sequined patches that spell out Mermaid. 

DIY

It is also quite easy to customize a jacket yourself and make it a more statement piece, especially if you have a beloved denim or leather jacket that you wear all the time. You can buy some really cute pins from a website called Shop Art Theft. It was created by a group of artists after their designs were copied by Zara. By buying from the website you can show your support for independent artists whose work is being stolen by major retail store. I think its good cause and another excuse to buy more cute enamel pins!

Etsy is also a great place to buy patches and pins for customizing jacket. Just search for you favourite band/movie/tv character and you'll be sure to find a patch to match. How cute are these patches that I found on Etsy :)

1. Rainbow Gem Stone

2. Sisters Before Misters

3. Time for Adventure

4.Winking Cat

5. David Bowie

6. Rainbow Planet

7. Don't Leave Holding Hands

8. Feminist Killjoy

9. Pastel Camera

You can also choose to buy patches and pins from different places you've visited in order to give it a more personal touch. Blogger Helen Anderson made an awesome video on the jacket she has customized with things she bought on her travels. You can also buy patch bundles at Local Heroes and Skinny Dip London. There's so many options so get customizing!