Month by Numbers: holidays, birthdays & drunken haze

7 favourites...

1.) April is one of my favourite months. Yes, it being the month of my birthday might have a little something to do with it (just maybe). But honestly, it's the time that Spring really starts to kick in, which gets me all giddy for Summer approaching and all the fresh starts that can be made. Not you could tell with the recent downpour of snow. YES SNOW IN APRIL.

2.) Yes, it was that time of year again I got yet again a bit older. It's funny, but I was talking to a friend about how organising something to do for your birthday is so stressful, when you should just be having a laugh and a half. You worry if people will like the place you're going to, that they'll all be busy and you'll be a billy-no-mates. But after all that, you realise that that's all just quite silly and all the people who love you and you truly care about, actually care about you too and you'll recieve cards you didn't expect to get a text off, thoughtful gifts from friends who've moved to the other side of the world, dance with you favourites, and find your parents at Euston station with 2 massive balloons that are nearly bigger than you teeny tiny mum. Thanks amazing humans - you're all swell and I love you quite a bit.

3.) And what better way to celebrate turning 24 than to go see Disney's new animated bundle of goodness - Zootopolis. I went to go see it with one of my best friends and fellow Disney-loving nut, and amongst a see of children and parents on a Saturday afternoon, there were us haha. I cried. A LOT. 4 times to be exact. And the 1st time was only about 10 minutes into the film. It's so funny, and real, and charismatic. You'll fall in love with the characters and it's got such a good message - it's just good for your heart and your soul guys!

4.) Along with cartoon bunnies and foxes (2 of my fave animals FYI), I went for many a drinks to celebrate my increasing old age - no surprises there. There were tropical tipples at Ridley Road Market Bar, cake and coffee at Wes Anderson playground Drink, Shop & Do, magical moments in Alice in Wonderland themed bar Callooh Callay, right antics with some scoundrels in an old underground tube station at Cahoots, and relaxed in the lap of luxury in the pink paradise that is Sketch. I never stop finding fab places to eat and drink in London, and that's reason no.39840234 why I love this mad city.

5.) Like the love child of Hozier, The 1975, Tame Impala and Miguel, comes east-London duo Honnes. Not even joking, it was love at first listen when I first heard these two. I Shazam-ed them as I exclaimed 'omg who's this? I love it!', and the rest, as they say, is history. Their words make my heart break, that voice makes me melt and the beats they create are criminally indulgent. My life is changed. You should change yours too.

6.) The month, I've realised that I comprise a lot. Being a fully-fledged adult means that you DO have to compromise on stuff and I have no problem with that. But it dawned on my recently that I compromise a lot of my own feelings, opinions and happiness, to make sure other people are ok. As much as I want people around me to happy, that shouldn't be a compromise on my own happiness, so I'm slowly but surely learning that it's OK to put my self first sometimes.

7.) To top off a pretty marvellous month, I jetted off on a pretty impromptu weekend getaway to Amsterdam and oh my, did I fall in love with that city. I love most places that I go away to, but this was the first time I felt like I wanted to pack up my life and move there - the people are so friendly, it's such a chilled environment and all the wonky and discombobulated houses make me feel like I'm walking in a scene out of Aristocats. Despite nearly getting lost at midnight and getting locked in an empty tram carriage, the capital of Holland provided good beer, sunshine through the cold weather, beautiful tulips, amazing waffles, and I was blown away by the oh-so-cute windmills. Amsterdam? More like AmsterDAMN.

5 tweets...

1.) Good thing is by now, I've got my game face down to an absolute art now. House party? Yeah no worries - hand me the eyeliner

2.) With my Adidas jacket & Lola Bunny phone case, passengers on the tube might not think I'm a 

9-5er but the bags under my eyes say otherwise

3.) Went for pub food & had ham in my hair - why do I always have meat in my hair?! If that's the biggest problem in my life, I'm ok with that 

4.) You know when you go out and you only realise how drunk you are when alone in the toilets? Yeah. That's me today but with being tired

5.) Shoutout to the security guys @Gatwick_Airport who were funny & friendly at 5am (and didn't judge me on my animal pjs in my case) 

3 songs....

1.) Drank - One Dance

I think my love for 90s throwback UK garage plays a big part of why I can't resist dancing to this but dammit, I just can't stop. (The proper version isn't on YouTube, but here's a pretty badass cover from Radio 1's Live Lounge)

2.) Honnes - Baby Please

I mentioned already why I love this so much, see above for reasoning ok, thanks.

3.) Calvin Harris & Rihanna - This Is What You Came For

This is just proper good dance-pop. If the beats, subtle clever drop, and smooth as butter vocals on this don't get you psyched for the summer, I don't know what will  

Loves

While I was typing up my last blog post of the update of my past week via Instagram photos, I thought, most weeks, there's certain things that I'm obsessed with. Whether that be music, a book, a certain article, a designer, a tv show, or a film I've seen...anything really, and I would love to share those things that I've been loving that week, with you guys!

This week, my ears have been abused mostly by 4 songs.

Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home

I love the tenderness of this song and how smooth it is, and it's been the first song that I put on when I get in the car for a drive.

Bastille - We Can't Stop

I love Bastille. I think they're a phenomenal and talented band who work so hard, and when they did this cover Miley's 'We Can't Stop' in Radio 1's Live Lounge, they took that song and spun it on its head. Even the most empty of lyrics seemed to contain meaning leader Dan Smith sang them, and their twists of Disney's 'I Can't Wait To Be King', Eminem, and Billy Ray Cyrus, were just genius and hilarious.

The 1975 - What Makes You Beautiful

Since during September, it's Radio 1's more music month, there was another Live Lounge that took me by surprise and I couldn't stop pressing the replay button. The 1975 covered One Direction and transformed it from a spunky lil' pop number into a sultry and tender throwback to the 90s, and it made the whole song sounded so sweet that I'm sure honey was trickling out of my speakers.

Conor Maynard - R U Crazy

Now, I think Conor Maynard's got a bit of a bad rep, because he started out his career when he was reasonably young and got compared to being the British Justin Bieber. When you think of mega stars and talented performers like Justin Timberlake, they started their career pretty young too, and in my opinion, his music is completely different and he's a different person altogether, so no need for comparisons. I thought of his songs as guilty pleasures for a while, then he came out with 'Turn Around' with Ne-Yo which I fell in love with, and 'Animal' showed a more mature sound, and with this new single, that sound continues to grow, which I think is a bit Timberlake-esque, from the 'Cry Me A River' era, and I've got to say...I'm really enjoying it.

My eyes have been feasting on the Great British Bakeoff, which I still love just as much as ever. Drooling over beautiful bakes, wishing the sweet Mary Berry was my grandma, and laughing at Mel & Sue's commentarty, is the perfect way to spend a cold Autumn evenign in. Educating Yorkshire is new show that I've been snuggling down to the sofa to watch, and it's hilairous, heart warming and makes me kind of wish I had the innocence of all these teens, and having he past few years to look forward to. May I add that the headteacher is also amazing and fantastic! I've also been infdulging in some old-school Fresh Prince, which I think if where Will Smith was his funniest and I still never goet bored of this show, the cast and he energy between them all. 

I've also still been getting lost in the world of Japan while reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and the other  week, I picked up a copy of Scott Mills autobiography for a bargin. I've always loved his show and found him hilarious, and his book was no exception, but there was a chapter in it about his work with the documentary he filmed called 'The World's Worst Place To Be Gay', and it was such an eye-opener and made me have a new-found respect for the Radio DJ.

How do you like these weekly favourites? What have you been loving this week? I always love finding new interests!

Hope you're all well,

Speak soon,

A.x