the party...

after months of planning and a saturday evening set up in the rain, sunday saw the community summer party executed in the glorious yorkshire sunshine.

after the last minute emails were exchanged earlier last week i was actually getting quite exciting about the weekend. but nervous. so nervous because actually was putting the new street- food court in a separate are of the park really good idea? will party goers find it? do people really just want burger and chips? but it gets to a certain point and you cant change your decisions you just have to run with them and hope for the best...

so first decision of sunday was what does one wear underneath a high- vis vest for a day? i opted for practical double denim with a splash of colour.

first job of the day. coffee. our local park has the cutest little cafe with a library  and serves the most delicious coffee and breakfast products. so after coffee i made my first realisation of the day. decorations.

i live for decorating stuff. i thrive on decorating projects of the home or any form of event. and id forgotten to make any decorations for my food area. the so- named food court was behind a hedge, away from the lake and the hustle and bustle of the main party area. so making it ideal for families to sit and relax but not so noticeable behind the flipping high hedge. so first note made for next year; make some form of pretty bunting/ banner for the high hedge...

i threw up the little bunting we had left round a tree and continued set up...

the party started at 1 but the crowds were building far sooner than that. the main area was buzzing with community stalls, charity stalls and all sorts of weird and wonderful activities to try. there was a climbing wall and blow up rugby game and the usual bouncy castle and spinning tea cups to keep the children entertained. a particular favourite of Seb's was the miniture railway.

i held off going back into the food area for a little while, nervous that it would be quiet as there were so many people everywhere else. but when i walked in it was fantastic. there were people milling around and queuing to try out the culinary delights. families has set up camp in the gardens on picnic rugs and were happily sampling what was on offer. 

the whole afternoon flew by in a whirl of talking and directing and eating. feedback on the day was majority positive for the party overall and i was delighted that from my street- food traders it was purely positive. we left buzzing about ideas for next year. for a first insight into event management it was great. i was fortunate to be able to concentrate on one area of the party so as not to get overwhelmed with admin and headaches. last week i was umming and ahring as to whether i wanted to commit to another 6 months of planning next year but i think these things are kind of addictive. if it goes well then you want to build on that success no matter what kind of work is involved.

solo shopping...

i've been quiet on the writing front of late. feeling under the weather coupled with the park party fast approaching and my brain has been busy just functioning and getting everything done for next weekend. but i wrote this yesterday on my way home...

i took some time out today to head to Leeds on a little shopping trip on my lonesome. as usual there are presents galore to buy this month (why is it when we hit 30 everybody else turns 30, has babies, gets them christened, gets married and moves house?) so that was my main purpose but there's no point forgetting yourself entirely so the aim was also to pick up a bargain in H&M or somewhere.

so coffee in hand, new magazine in my bag (it takes me a whole month to read Elle at home) and i already felt worlds lighter. i didn't need to choo choo at every train that passed in the station, i  didn't need to fight to get on the train with a stroller and i didn't need to use bribery to get through a journey without kickoff. 

i jumped from shop to shop and back again choosing just the right gift and reasoning that I did need some new underwear. i chose a seat upstairs and enjoyed lunch (eaten still warm) and daydreamed. and now i'm on my way home again, absolutely knackered (why does shopping feel like a 10k after only 3 hours?) and looking forward to a lazy, family sunday afternoon. you can't have too much of alone time or a good thing, otherwise you'd never appreciate it.

Benetton printed trousers...

i love a printed trouser, or slacks as i like to call them because it reminds me of what Jessica Fletcher might call them in Murder She Wrote. i bought these beautifully coloured and printed pair from Benetton in Villamoura, Portugal, a few weeks ago...

ive been wearing them with a white camisole, white or grey slouchy tshirt or white shirt. shoes are also my favourite posh sandels (from Topshop) for when trainers or flip flops just wont do.

summer workwear...

                      image courtesy of www.misskasia.com

im fortunate enough to work somewhere without a uniform or strict dress code (although Stylist magazine published a fascinating article about a woman who wore the same outfit to work everyday to boost productivity...)this is also a bonus because it shakes me out of the jeans and tshirt rut its all too easy to fall into on a weekend with a toddler. but again its all too easy to wear the same skinnies and blouse week in week out.

so this re- surge of energy i wrote about post holiday came into good effect and i popped on my fresh wardrobe glasses and re discovered some beauts...

okay okay so i said this wasn't about wearing the same skinny jeans and blouse time and again but black skinny jeans are the base for a good working wardrobe (i swear by M&S 5 pocket jeggings) and this vintage blouse has been hanging in my wardrobe for about eight years and before that in some other ladies for about 20...

im all about fuss free. i cant be bothered to spend more than 5 minutes on my hair (a big reason its short) and i love anything that can be worn with a simple, slouchy tshirt. this cream lace skirt from Gap outlet has just a touch of sporty with the elasticated waistband and its boyed up a bit more with just a t. i think the best ones are H&M with the little pocket and only £7.99...

in the summer months its hard to know what to wear because its windy but boiling on your walk to work, you need comfy shoes but it might rain and once you get inside the aircon might be freezing. i found these tailored shorts, from Topshop, and i thought they worked perfectly with this loose white shirt (Barbour but bargain of the century from Oxfam) so there's flesh on show to keep cool but sleeves to keep the chill off. finished with good old tan loafers...

and my working wardrobe of the last month, actually the last year, is not complete without my smart joggers, again H&M. ease, comfort, smart. done deal. again with the white shirt or slouchy tshirt...

this fresh- eyes malarkey tends to happen every few months, thank god, because it saves me pennies and space. as much as i love a splurge as much as the next girl there is something far more satisfying opening your wardrobe doors and pulling out just what you want to wear. or fancy trying something new and finding that actually you have just the thing already.

ceilings...

sometimes some topics and ideas just go round your head for a few weeks. you have a discussion with yourself about them and you bring them up in conversation and then finally you just decide you want to have a mull with the keyboard.

i read an article about Charlize Theron a few weeks ago, in last month's Elle, and in it she discussed the double standards of Hollywood and the pay gap between male and female actors. ive read articles on pay inequality and the 'glass ceilings' women encounter in the workplace lots of times but for some reason this one article made me think. i discussed it with my mum and reasoned that ive never really thought about the subject in any great detail before. like extreme poverty, homophobia, racism; i know it exists but its not something i have felt has ever affected me.

this isnt to paint a picture that my (former) career was blessed with promotion, more that ive never worked anywhere where there were opportunities to progress within the time frame i was there. and significant pay rises (by this i mean more that £1 an hour extra) didnt come my way not because i was a women but because i worked for a small, family run business in an agricultural area. and, whether it was pure ignorance on my part, but i never once felt that i couldnt rise up the ranks, should i wish too, simply because i was female. i knew people who worked in London and said things like ''i need to give my clients more face time.'' maybe they saw the glass ceiling but i certainly didnt.

why this particular article in Elle struck me i dont know. but i was genuinely shocked to read that Charlize had achieved what had not been done before in the film industry, to be paid the same as her male co-star, Chris Hemsworth. i discussed in disbelief with my mum that i couldn't believe this hadn't happened before, surely the actors and actresses with equal screen time got paid the same? she was pretty accepting of the fact, that's the way it had always been, right or wrong. 

it was the Sony email leaks, disclosing the difference in pay between Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and their male costars in American Hustle, that brought the Hollywood pay gap into the spotlight. and from that moment on i think there has been a jump- start of interest, again, in equal rights, in pay equality, in roles for women, in double standards, in sexism. basically lets call it feminism. because feminism became something of a dirty word, certainly in my teenage to adulthood years. we heard stories about Emily Pankhurst when we grew up, we listened to girl power in our tweens and then something happened. maybe we all started to view feminism and feminists negatively, in a very laddish way? we started to scorn and paint with a stereotype brush. whatever way a lot of us disregarded it i think. or we were too young for it in the wider world away from history lessons and wannabe.

maybe it was the birth of Heat magazine and the celebrity culture. maybe it was the fact that we were so keen to be as sexualised as possible because it was our right and it didnt mean we were knowing'(as my Nanna would call it) just because we dressed like it. maybe it was because women were starting to get tired of the 'have it all culture' they had grown up with and actually wanted to breastfeed and stay at home with their babies.

journalist and author Polly Vernon recently published her book Hot Feminist, touted as ''a brave new perspective on feminism'', basically an entertaining perspective on being a modern feminist and that its ok to want to be perceived as 'hot' as well as caring about women's rights. i havent read it yet but i read a fascinating article with Polly and ive also read many reviews on the book. and like it or loathe it, agree with it or not, she has a valid point in that one of the things that went wrong with 'feminism' in the last few years is that women kept judging women. we're all guilty of jumping up and down about men and the media labeling us but we actually do it to each other more. so women who felt they were true feminists would scorn at those professing to be one whilst still making sure they kept their waxing appointments. and TOWIE influenced girls would scorn at those eager to make a stand against sexulisation in the media. so Polly makes the point that why cant we just be as we are, and still be a feminist and be each others biggest supporters?

ive also been really inspired by Hilary and Chelsea Clinton of late, im a sucker for the American presidential election term on term anyway, so with Hilary running its going to be a fascinating watch. you could see years ago, when she was the First Lady and later when she became Obama's number two, that if there were to be a first female president, it was going to be Hilary. 

and i didnt know too much about Chelsea, other than she was a few years older than me, had a mass of curly hair and had a baby girl about a year after i had Seb. but after sacking off a career in finance she works closely with The Clinton Foundation and, in main, their initiative No Ceilings. this project aims to 'inspire and advance the full participation of girls and women around the world.' in short it covers education, violence, poverty, health and aims to build a report of real date on how women are progressing through all walks of life, so they can access the problem areas. what suck with me was, when talking about life since becoming a mother, Chelsea said she felt she owed it to her daughter Charlotte to try and make the world better for her. and i felt the same way. i want Seb to grow up with a full understanding of equality.

its all too easy to get drawn into your own world and stay there, without opening your eyes and your mind to whats happening out in the wider world. i live in a very white, very middle class area and a lot of local people work within the city walls; for the railway, in hospitality and tourism or for Aviva. maybe it wasn't just me and glass ceilings don't occur to that many women here either. but just like the casual racism that exists here (and many other places), maybe there is casual sexism and we just don't notice because we've grown up and live in a traditional place and that's just how life is.

thats why i think its important to read. and discuss. and not be afraid to speak out, in protest or in discussion. to keep our eyes and mind open and to teach equality on all levels.

father's day ideas...

there are posts galore on father's day gift ideas; luxurious, home- made, on a budget, and its something i started thinking about a few weeks ago. with so many events and occasions in the calender this year i'm trying to keep our present giving creative (and on a budget...)

ideas i've had...

craft ales. real ale, craft ale, bog standard lager; they are all popular with the men folk in our family. real ale is one of my father- in- law's 'things' and a box set of unusually named tipples is a favourite gift to give. the younger men in the family, and my dad, have always been more Carlsburg than Carbon Neutral but with familial influences and the growing trend for craft ales this could be an ideal gift for dads and grandads. Marks & Spencer have a fantastic selection of beer and cider and for Fathers Day are bringing out some good box sets if you want the job of choosing to be done for you. personally i love picking the daftest names or names that link to the receiver. if, like me you like to shop local, its worth scouting your high street or a bit off the beaten track to see if there are any individual wine and beer shops. here in York my favourite is York Beer & Wine shop, a treasure trove of a shop just beyond the city walls.

image courtesy of www.friendsofham.com

Not on the High Street. well this is just a one stop shop and basically i might as well finish my post here. this is my first point of call when im looking for ideas for any occasion (and also home and party decor.) you can find something for any budget, here are a couple of my favourites...

mini photo acrylic block & wooden calender keyring...

both priced around £15 they are a perfect, low cost present idea with a god dose of sentimentality.


chalk board. another totally unique idea is a pub style chalkboard, expertly painted by artist chalkboard illustrator. originally set up to provide a higher quality of work for local businesses, last year they started to design personal boards to be given as gifts. these can be a brain storm about the receiver complete with little images if you fancy, in any colour palate you choose. chalkboard illustrator has also designed personalised boards to be used at private parties and even table plans...so have a think about some good stuff about your dad and send him a message. 

good old socks and tshirts. when all else fails i go for some kind of clothing item. a traditionally boring choice is socks. rather than the 5 pack with days of the week on from Next im thinking big, thick, woolly welly socks from joules. perfect for the dad who loves to walk. or a farmer. tshirts; depending on their style id choose topman for cheap, simple and on trend, wierdfish for a more casual, beachy dad, wiggle for sporty dads and check out debenhams for the different labels...

happy shopping and fathers day! 

inspiration...

since we got back from Portugal ive been a bit quieter on the posting while ive been catching up with my mini jobs; chasing up traders and emails for the park party (which is fast approaching) and, now the season is in full swing, its write ups galore for the triathlon club.

but i dont think i could jump into these tasks with such gusto were it not for a break. we all know how much better we feel after a few days away, it doesn't have to be abroad (but a bit of sun often helps)it just needs to be a change from the norm. a switch off off the mental and the email type.  while i was away i found relaxation, peace and from that inspiration in the sun, the wine and the copious amounts of magazines i digested.

and it was while i was thumbing the pages of Vogue (£2 in Manchester airport's WH Smiths, bargain)that i started thinking about the constant complaints with women's glossies being demoralising, out of touch with normaility and encouraging eating disorders. now we could sit here until next week discussing the whys and should theys of the use of extreme skinny, that's a whole other post. and there's a whole world of truth that the upmarket glossies want to create an elitism, but I don't read them and feel demoralised and unworthy. i feel inspired and energised.

i feel encouraged to strive for more work wise, building my skills and my cv now to achieve a career i can be proud of once Seb is a bit older. i want to be able to afford some of what i see on these pages, it doesnt make me feel depressed that i cant afford it now. instead my brain sparks off ideas of where i can find similar items on the high street or second hand, it makes me think about whats already in my wardrobe. i dont see the models photoshopped stomachs and want to cheese-grater off some of my own mum wobble, instead it reminds me to keep working hard to stay fit and strong. and the beauty pages remind me to experiment more with colours and makes me feel happy i have the confidence to wear shorter hair.

the result is arriving home, albeit to a mountain of dirty washing, with a new energy to keep working, keep writing, re shuffle my wardrobe and push to run 10 minutes more. when we're abroad we often feel a confidence to try out new styles, some of which wont work at home, but i love coming back and keeping a little bit of holiday running through my wardrobe. at least for a few weeks.

so i might not have another holiday planned for the rest of this summer but i will make sure i continue to read and visit some new places on a weekend and keep that summer inspiration coming...