When I was little, everyone told me I would be a writer, for I was a most voracious reader. I would regularly steal (sometimes wildly inappropriate) books from my mother's shelves, I insisted on doing spelling tests for fun, I would run around the garden making up stories. I lived half my life inside my head.

But I am not a writer. The writing has never really evolved beyond a few modules for my literature degree, a few classes at school, a few half-finished stories lost on the internet. This blog is my longest-running work to date but I couldn't really call it a story - it is a keepsake, a diary, a place to store thoughts like these. A creative outlet.

So I am not a writer, although they all told me I would be.

Instead I have been, in ascending order: a hairdressing assistant, a babysitter, a film extra (such fun), an editor's intern, a customer services agent, a supply chain coordinator, a buying assistant, and now an assistant merchandiser. Somewhere along my little career journey I fell into the wholesale accessories industry, which, although not terribly lucrative, is rather fun - things move very quickly, no two days are the same, and there is constant planning ahead. I can pretend it is a fashion career, because we deal in seasons and at any given time I'm thinking at least a year in advance. But I never planned on having a fashion career. I like buying things, I like consuming, I like samples and editorials and selling to people. I like spreadsheets and order and formulas and cracking numbers. But I don't love them (although v look-ups are life-changing, I swear).

I am not a corporate person by any means and the idea of working in a formal office never really took hold inside my head, so I have been very fortunate to work in such casual, fun, relaxed environments, where samples spill from the walls and inspiration can be found in every nook. But the creativity so rampant within my workplaces so rarely aligns with my own abilities - words have no place when you're selling to businesses, you see. You don't need to enthrall a business owner as much as you would a consumer. So I kept my head down and played my roles and saved any creative input for the blogging world, which has been my saving grace so many times over the years. And then, my colleagues discovered my blog. And they were supportive, and congratulatory, and encouraging. When we needed product shots for a catalogue, they asked me to help, on the basis that I was capable of producing halfway decent images for my own blog.

I'd always enjoyed photography, you see, but I was always told I'd be a writer and so that was my identifier, my creative focus. As a teenager, I used photographs liberally for art projects at school, I took ridiculous selfies for forum icons, I tentatively learned to use Photoshop to create banners for my online stories, I collected and devoured fashion magazines, ripping out my favourite editorials and creating collages for my room. But it was always secondary to my writing - and now for the first time, in my late twenties, I wondered if maybe I had been following the wrong path all along.

So I started small. I invested more time and money into my blog images, I dedicated time to my Instagram, I made a concerted effort to take my bulky DSLR out and about. If nothing else, I decided, I'd have plenty of material to fill future photo albums, for any offspring to enjoy and laugh at. I took my camera to my best friend's wedding, with the simple intention of taking some nice photos for my own album, but then she printed them. My little snaps, displayed alongside her professional images.

Having struck up a rapport with her wedding photographer, the lovely Laura DeBourde, I started putting together a little plan.I signed up for an online photography course to make sure, once and for all, that I understood all the technical aspects (and passed with 98%!). I invested my birthday money in a new lens. I started dragging my friends out for weekend strolls, just so I could take snaps and play with lighting. And then, last week, Laura asked me if I'd like to shadow her for a wedding, and before I properly knew what I was doing, I agreed to cover groom preparation. Me! With my little camera, shaky hands and over-reliance on VSCO!

It was terrifying. It was tiring. But it was also exhilarating, and I didn't stop smiling once. Even after looking through my photos the next day, identifying things I need to improve on, angles I should have checked, people I should have focused on - there were a few I actually felt proud of. When I posted some on Instagram, I was overwhelmed by the response - and when the bride herself commented, I could have cried with joy. I have rarely felt more emotional about putting something of my own creation out into the world, and all the words in my expansive arsenal are not enough to accurately describe my state of mind.

So what I'm trying to say is, it's all linked, somehow. If I hadn't loved the world of words, I'd never have felt compelled to start a blog. If I hadn't joined the blogging community, I would never have felt the need to work on my photography. I would never have realised how much I enjoy taking photographs. And I would certainly, never, ever, in a hundred years, have dreamed that people might like my photographs. I would never have reached this stage where I might even be considering making this a thing - but here I am, and I don't know how I'll do it, or what I might achieve - all I know is that I love taking photos and now I know it's something I want to progress with. People change so much over time, it's only natural for our dreams to grow with us.

I've started a fledgling Facebook page here if you're interested - just a teeny space at the moment, and I am so hesitant to even call it a business while I'm still developing, but every dream needs a starting point, right?

Love Dani
xoxo

What better reason to brave the gloomy rain of a summer's day than a food festival? If you're a bit of a foodie like me, I'm sure you'll quite agree that this year's Taste of London restaurant festival and its delicious offerings are worth even the heaviest of downpours.

I'm terrible for compiling endless lists of restaurants to visit and then making it to approximately none of them - my Wunderlist stretches to about 30 different places - so this was a perfect opportunity to sample some of their wares without making a single booking. We booked the evening session, made a list of stalls to visit and prepared ourselves for a feast!



My favourite dishes were the wagyu beef puff and popcorn shrimp from Chai Wu, closely followed by the eponymous Duck & Waffle - so delicious! We also popped into the following:

Kurobuta for a BBQ pork bun (amazing)
Sartoria for fettucine and truffle
72-hour smoked beef at Club Gascon
Shotgun BBQ's Southern fried chicken
Bubbledogs' Tater Tots
Meatliquor Buffalo wings and blue cheese dip (although I didn't sample this)









Finally, after grateful acceptance of all free samples offered to us (those strawberries!) we finished off with warm Apfelstrudel from German Gymnasium. By this stage we had been at the festival for a good couple of hours and it was beginning to get a bit crowded, so we made our way home by way of the beautiful Regents Park - I work round the corner and really hope the weather perks up soon so I can spend more lunch breaks by the water!




Despite the rain it was a really good evening - although portions are quite small we all felt rather full after sharing dishes and it was a lovely way of sampling restaurants we had yet to visit. Prices vary from £5 to £12 for the "icon" dishes at each stand, so it wasn't the cheapest of events but our overall spend came to about £25-£30 per person, so not far off a sit down meal. There were also plenty of places to sit down and enjoy your food, but the rain meant we chose to walk around or eat under cover of the stands instead. If you're visiting I would definitely recommend getting there for the earlier part of your slot as it can get quite busy!

Taste of London runs until Sunday 19th June and tickets are still available here.

Love Dani
xoxo

So this September marks 8 whole years since I moved back to the UK, and although I've had some fab adventures here and there, on the whole, I've not really explored much beyond the South East. I realise this is a crime against the more scenic areas on this island and I am very ashamed, ok? It's pretty poor when you've seen more of France and Spain than the country emblazoned upon your passport. So when my sister moved to York for university, it gave me a perfect excuse to navigate the Virgin Trains website looking for cheap tickets.
My first visit lasted all of 24 hours, this time last year, but I managed 3 days in March as well and let me tell you, I'm in love with the North. So picturesque (once you've passed the industrial wastelands around Doncaster, that is...), full of friendly peeps and so green, it reminds me of home! The copious amounts of coffee and cake consumed rather helped, although I can't say I was overly impressed by the weather on my visits - a mere five minutes of sunshine graced my stay the first time, while it snowed the second time! Perhaps I need to schedule my explorations more carefully... At any rate, here is my approved list of things to do if you visit York (as confirmed by my sister!).



exploring
York is such a gorgeous walled city and I found it easy to walk around; if walking isn't your jam though, the buses are pretty decent and not too expensive to hop on and hop off! In the city centre itself I'd recommend popping into the Minster, loitering around Kings Manor (it has a secret cafe, so don't be put off by the fact it's part of the university) and admiring the ruins of St Mary's Abbey in Museum Gardens. An eternal lover of academia, I insisted on taking a bus up to the uni campus and having a nose around - it's incredibly verdant and pretty, but mind the resident flocks of geese!
My sister and I also squeezed in a quick afternoon trip to Harrogate (only 20 minutes by train) - although we didn't have time to visit the famous spa, we did enjoy exploring and had a rather delish lunch (more on that later). We also resolved to visit the nearby town of Knaresborough as it looked utterly delightful from the train!








shopping
As a student city, York certainly has no shortage of wonderful shops! There are some fabulous charity shops (the Sue Ryder branch has a whole floor devoted to vintage wonders, definitely worth checking out) and there is inevitably a bookshop on every corner (pictured is the lovely Fossgate Books). My favourites, however, were the Yorkshire Soap Company and the Imaginarium, side by side a short walk away from Betty's in the centre - one full of deliciously scented goodies (I am the proud owner of the Whitby Bay candle!) and the other a veritable treasure trove of knick knacks and intricate gifts. Unfortunately they don't allow photos but take my word for it, these are wonderful stores! Finally, I fell in love with a standing copper lamp in Barnitts, which is a bit like Lakeland, if Lakeland was cheaper, sprawling, and full of every possible item you might need in your home.





eating & drinking
Oh, my favourite pastime - food and drink! Now York & Harrogate may be famous for the stalwart of afternoon tea that is Betty's, but we eschewed the queues outside for smaller places, tucked away. I'm actually almost reluctant to share my favourite place because I love it so much, but to hide it would do it a disservice, so I'll let you in on a secret - hidden within an ancient stone tower, up a winding staircase, is Gatehouse Coffee, and it is a brilliant establishment. Purveyors of the best chai I've had, as well as every hot drink under the sun plus a selection of delicious paninis, they are the ones to visit if you've ever dreamed of curling up in your own version of Gryffindor common room.
Another fabulous eatery is the York Cocoa House, with a thousand types of hot chocolate, and every dish contains chocolate in some format - I sampled goat's cheese scones with chocolate and surprisingly it worked - they also do chocolate afternoon teas which I'm determined to try on my next visit! For more cake and coffee, try Brew + Brownie for instagrammable latte art and delicious pancakes! If you're in need of something a little more savoury, may I direct you to Major Tom's Social in Harrogate for amazing pizza, or Winner Winner down by the River Ouse for tasty Deep South fare (including, of course, a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner - absolutely delectable!). If you're a little thirsty after all that food, head to Gibson's for cheap-as-chips cocktails - slide down one of the big benches and pretend you're just another student (as I did - ha!).











Needless to say, this list is in no way exhaustive - I've only been twice, after all - and York has plenty more to offer! For a resident's view do let me direct you to the lovely Martha's blog, and if any of you have recommendations for my next visit, please share them here!

Love,
Dani xoxo

This year, more than ever, has felt like time is flying past and leaving me adrift in its wake. It has been months of quite frankly rubbish things happening (with a few wonderful bright spots dotted here and there) and I'm exhausted in a way I haven't really felt in ages. Some weeks ago I realised I was beginning to feel the cold, numbing, familiar fingers of depression creeping around my skull - not really something I can allow myself to succumb to at the moment! I'm sure the appalling "British summer" weather we're experiencing at the moment isn't helping, coupled with the fact I'm missing my family and my home a lot, and struggling to get out of bed and moving around right now.

These phases have always happened to me and they usually go hand in hand with fatigue. I feel it's only human, we can only soldier on for so long before we need to apply a little self-care, but the time has come to hold up my hand and say, I'm sorry, I'm not very good at looking after myself.

That said, I'm trying my hardest to change my outlook and not dwell on the negatives. I've booked a trip home next weekend (sometimes all a girl needs is a hug from her mum). I've taken to lighting relaxing candles before bedtime. I'm eating more avocado. I'm trying to read more (because I believe wholeheartedly in bookworm therapy!). I'm trying all sorts of things, but I wanted something I could turn into a habit as well.

Last weekend, while meandering around Covent Garden in search of an art shop for my granny, we decided to nip into Kikki.K to explore their wares, and before you could say "Instagrammable!" I'd walked out with this beautiful gratitude journal. Partly because it's so pretty to look at, and partly because it's filled with little prompts to encourage mindfulness and gratitude, every day. They start by telling you it takes 21 days to form a habit, and it felt so positive, I thought it was worth a try.

It's been years since I last kept a journal (one could argue, this blog constitutes a journal, but look how terrible I am at updating regularly!) but all this requires is 3 simple entries a day, listing things I've felt grateful for. Every night before bed, I sit down (with my new pen...) and ponder the day as it draws to a close. And so far, I've managed to find 3 things every day this week.

It may be a paltry amount but when you're reminded that there are at least 3 good things happening in your life, it makes all the difference.