Festival Essentials

I know that festival season is coming to an end, so this post may well be rendered pointless, but I have finally received a camera from my insurance company and felt the need to post something. Arrest me. 

I have only ever been to three festivals, so I'm not going to sit here and pretend to have the same festival-packing expertise as the likes of Kate Moss. However, this year was the first time I managed to pack efficiently and so I'd like to think I have now nailed the essentials. 

I rue the day I packed for Glastonbury and decided that taking two tonnes of playsuits, dresses, skirts, shoes and jumpers seemed like a bright idea because "I might wear them". I also rue the day I packed my entire make-up collection for Shambala because "I might have my picture taken". To sum up, when looking back on previous packing experiences, a lot of ruing is done. 

However this year, something clicked in my brain and I realised that I didn't need to take four vest tops, or two mascaras, or three pairs of black leggings. That's right, one pair of black leggings is enough! Who would've thought? So here I have put together what I thought were the essentials (well, not all the essentials... I didn't fancy trying to take an arty shot of toilet paper for my blog...). 

The Photographer

On Saturday night, my friend's mother threw a rather fancy birthday bash at the Avon Gorge Hotel. There were burgers, sausages, chicken and ribs sizzling atop the barbecue and thirty bottles of pink fizz doing the rounds. Everyone had donned their most glamorous gowns and mingled alongside the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It was the kind of event I'd always dreamed of attending, sort of like the ones I've spent hours watching, and re-watching, on Made In Chelsea. And Gossip Girl. And reading about in blogs. And Fitzgerald books. 

However I was not just there as a guest, I was also the official photographer. This is a title that I have coveted for years, and instilled both excitement and fear in me. As a shy person, it is not in my nature to walk up to strangers and stick a nine inch long lens in their face before blinding them with a flash. I was much more comfortable photographing the location, and capturing unsuspecting victims from afar. I therefore came away from the party worried that I had not fulfilled my role; after looking at my photos though, I am rather pleased with them, I just wish I had been brave enough to photograph a wider selection of people! However, as this was my first attempt at event photography it has taught me a lot about how to effectively capture the ambience of an event through a lens and left me positively drooling for another go. 

I did make sure that me and Joe got a picture of course, mainly because I was in love with my new dress. I had originally planned to wear long-sleeved black velvet but the recent heatwave sent me in to a sweaty whirlwind of panic as I attempted to find an alternative outfit (woe is me as I forgot to also order an alternative bra and ended up with pink and black polkadots on show for the whole night). I ripped apart my wardrobe but, of course, nothing was appropriate so I logged on to Asos and ordered this cheap and cheerful swing dress (my first ever Asos order, may I add). I paired it with 5" strappy heels from New Look, and Chanel polish in 'Pirate' on my fingers and tootsies. 

InstaDiary: Week 3

Cosy sock day | My Primark playsuit from Summer 2011 that I have just rediscovered | Rimmel Coral Romance | BBQ in the park | Spain collage | My matching sunglasses, thanks to the free pair that came with Cosmo | 4 of my 5 a day | Trying on all my dresses in order to find one for the party on Saturday (I ended up buying a new one instead) | Martha's Canon 550D that she has lent me until I get one back from the insurance. 

Sun, Sea, Sand and Stolen Goods.

I feel tremendously guilty for not having blogged for three whole weeks; not because anyone would have missed reading my posts but because I promised myself that I would not become lax with my blogging.

Two weeks ago, me and twelve friends took a flight out to Spain for a week of trying to find shade, sampling the local McDonalds and KFC branches, drinking the finest wine at 89 cents a carton and trying not to kill each other. I had eagerly packed my Cannon 450D, with which I take all the pictures for this blog, with the intention of capturing all the mouthwatering food, the fabulous outfits and the beautiful architecture. The part of the holiday I was most excited about was getting home, curling up in bed, sifting through hundreds of photos and deciding which ones to share on here and with my family and friends. 

Chicken and Bacon Salad

I'm not usually one for salads; they're boring, and eating them makes me feel like a rabbit. However, this recipe is a delicious blend of salad, vegetables and meat and perfect for lunch on a summer's day. I put this recipe together by accident one afternoon whilst trying to make use of all the leftovers in the fridge and have been obsessed with it ever since. Not being the most adventurous of eaters, I stuck to the basic salad essentials but you could easily add some more exotic ingredients such as carrots, or those caper things. Anyhow, I felt the need to share it and if you try it out, let me know!

KJ xo

InstaDiary: Week 2

Another week another Dutch braid | Last season's Topshop bikni that I bought off eBay for a not-so-bargain price | New running shoes | Post-exams lunch date at The Burger Joint | First watermelon of the summer | Potato salad | Glitter ombre nails | Showing off my latest creation | Chocolate Forest Gateau in the sun.

Strawberries and Cupcakes

Seeing as temperatures last night hit a high of a muggy 24 degrees, me and my friends decided to celebrate the end of exams with a summery barbecue. I took my camera with the intention of taking some picturesque shots of the garden, the food and cocktails. However I quickly realised that I don't actually know anyone who drinks cocktails and after receiving the sarcastic comment "I'm sure people know what bread looks like" I decided to put the camera away for the night and don a tea-cosy instead; if you can't beat them, join them!

DIY: Floral Crown

It personally offends me when people post DIY tutorials that don't involve things you can find lying around the house. So, I feel extremely hypocritical writing this because unless you live in Hobbycraft you probably wont have anything needed for this project to hand. 

The weather has been bordering on glorious for the last week and so I felt inspired to get crafty and make some summer accessories. A floral crown has been on my wishlist for a while now but I couldn't justify spending £20 on one from the high street and so I thought it would be fun to make my own. I did end up spending about £15 altogether but it meant that I could tailor the crown to my own tastes, and I'm sure any bargain-hunters amongst you could find all of this for half the price! So, following the likes of Lana Del Rey and Alexa Chung I dived right on in.

You will need: A selection of artificial flowers | A hair band | Craft tape