New York New York so good they named it twice.

Times Square

View from the Rockefeller

Times Square at night

Bike ride around Central Park

 The Brooklyn bridge

Reenacting Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys (Had to be done) 

The Chrysler building 

Statue of Liberty

So as I mentioned in a previous post, during the last week I have been in New York for my mum's birthday, seeing the sights and eating my body weight in hotdogs and cheesecake. Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the city, will know how crazy it is, and that when people tell you it's the city that never sleeps, they are not wrong! Even though we visited for a whole 7 days, there was definitely so much more that we could have seen, but we made the most of every single day that we were there: we shopped till we dropped, we cycled around Central Park in its entirety (Yes it took 4 hours with photo stops along the way!), we went to see Annie on Broadway, and I got my infamous photo looking through the window of Tiffanys (I had been waiting for that moment for a longgggg time!)

These are just some of the snaps from the trip... I thought if I bombarded you with the full 158 pics, you might be a little bored! I would like to follow this post with a haul post of all the things I bought whilst away, so watch this space! 

Hope you have all had a lovely week!

Love Lissy xox

30 things to do before i'm 30.

So i've seen this post crop up a few times in blogs far and wide and I decided to jump on the bandwagon and write one for myself. This post is more for my own benefit, as a record of the things that I would like to achieve before I turn that grand old age of 30! As scary as it sounds, this age is only 7 years and 2 months away... and there seems to be a lot that I want to achieve within that time!! 

So here's the list...

1. Go Inter-railing around Europe
2. Become a qualified primary school teacher
3. Buy my own house
4. Take skiing lessons
5. Get married (or at least engaged!)
6. Go sky diving
7. Spend Christmas and New Year somewhere tropical
8. Get a dog... and possibly another kitty
9. Cook the Christmas dinner 
10. Get paid to write something
11. Buy a vintage car
12. Pay for my parents to go on holiday
13. Hold a garden party for all of my friends no matter where they live in the country 
14. Go on a girly spa weekend
15. Go to more festivals... Glasto and Bestival you're on my list!
16. Go camping every summer
17. Read every book on my 'to-read' list
18. Learn French
19. Worry less
20. Make a dress from scratch
21. Attend a friend's wedding (I will force someone to get married if I have to!)
22. Visit an open-air cinema 
23. Revamp a piece of furniture
24. Go surfing again 
25. Spend a weekend in Dublin
26. Get braces
27. Be in a dancing show once again
28. Take a trip in a hot air balloon 
29. Have a pen-pal
30. Be more confident as myself

Some of these goals are going to be more doable than others, but i'd like to think that none of them are beyond my grasp. 

What are your goals before we have to officially call ourselves "grown up"?! 

Love Lissy xox

Bookworm.

NW by Zadie Smith 

After a long intrigue over the success of Zadie Smith and her novels, I was quite excited to pick this up at the airport before my holiday to France and attempt it as my first holiday read.
When friends asked me what this book was actually about, it was difficult to really put it into words, because truthfully, it's not about much at all! There's no real storyline or page-turning event within the book which grasps a reader's attention like other books strive to do. The blurb on the back isn't very helpful either, as it really just describes it as a 'portrait of modern urban life'.
The novels focus is more on the people living in an area of London, and the ways in which they distinguish themselves from one another through the use of language and expression. As an English Literature graduate, this book is probably much easier for me to get my head around than others may find it. After some of the complete nonsense that we were made to read over the three years, this novel is actually quite a refreshing examination of the residents of a lower class area as they simply attempt to "get by". Zadie's inspirations come from the modernist works of Virginia Woolf, and Shakespeare's problem play Measure For Measure. With those in mind, it is very easy to assume that there won't be much of a plot... and not much happiness either!

I don't want to ruin it for anyone who might want to read this book, but I will say that after a slow start it definitely got much better, and I warmed to Zadie's use of language and the vitality of the characters of Leah, Felix, Natalie and Nathan. For anyone similarly intrigued by the recent successes of Zadie Smith, I would say, give this a go! Often readers can get wrapped up in the fact that if a novelist has won so many awards, then they must instantly appeal to everyone out there! Judge this book for yourselves... but maybe buy something more light-hearted if you're off on your holidays!

Love Lissy xox

There's a chocolate fondue with no nutritional value.

            

Cats prefer boxes // Another certificate in the bag // Baking

Got my hair did // Beautiful building in Oxford // Yankee candle

Vintage beauts // Unleashing my inner sewing bee // Holiday read

Holiday packing // I miss French cocktails and ice cream!

I feel like I've abandoned my blog a tad just lately, and to tell you the truth, I've been a bit uninspired by it, and would much rather have gander at all of the other beautiful blogs and youtube videos out there. Most of the time, if i'm out with friends or family, I don't plan on taking many photos with the intention of future blog posts in mind. Sometimes I think that bloggers often get carried away with taking rather staged shots of themselves in a newly purchased outfit, and actually forget to just enjoy the moment, the scenery, and the company. 

During the past few weeks, I have been on a girly holiday to France, which involved one too many cocktails and ice creams, a flat tyre and a hot tub. Since then, I have had a major case of the holiday blues, and have spent many days moping about the house, baking and watching back-to-back episodes of New Girl! Last weekend I visited my boy in Northampton, and we decided to venture to Oxford for the day (such a beautiful place!) I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone, and before I know it, I will be starting my job and the boy will be moving to London to complete an MA... looking forward to having him as an excuse for visiting London every other weekend! ;) Goodbye bank balance!

Before all that, I need to prepare myself for a week in New York which I am so excited for!! I think I might do a post about packing for a city break, so watch this space! 

After reading a friend's blog this morning, I feel a bit more inspired to post more regularly, so let's hope I can keep it up! 

I hope you're all enjoying the last of the summer, and are preparing for September whatever your plans are. :) 

Love Lissy xox

The day I graduated.

So yesterday marked the end of an era as I graduated with my lovely friends and boyfriend from De Montfort University. Despite the unbearably hot weather, which meant a VERY sweaty forehead and frizzy hair, the day was beyond any expectation. Walking across the stage to collect my degree certificate, and standing alongside my fellow course mates brought a tear to my eye. Thank the lord I didn't fall in my heels, or drop my mortarboard infront of the audience!! I feel so lucky to have been able to spend the day with my loved ones, and it's just so sad that this day has marked the end of the most memorable chapter of my life so far. 

These are just a few of the photos that were taken when I wasn't quite so sweaty!! Apologies for the differences in picture quality and colour, they were taken on various cameras from various photographers! I am so thankful to my bestest uni friends and boyfriend for making this a day that I will never ever forget. I'm not going to lie, I'm petrified to enter the big wide world and start a proper job, but I have to remember how scared I was to start university, and now on reflection, it was the best decision I ever made! 

So now I am Melissa Farrow, Bachelor of Arts... but you can just call me genius ;) 

Love Lissy xox 

You're the toast of the Barbary coast.

Results day present and card from my sis // Milkshake! // Graduation shoes

Cider in the sun with friends // Current favourite nail polish // New purse (£3.50 bargain!)

Weekend ootd // Afternoon tea // New read

Here's a few pics from my instagram lately. These last couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind for me, and i've gone from a stressed and angry person who's been dropped from a summer job which was supposed to happen this month, to having the luckiest two days with my degree results (2:1 babyyy), and securing an amazing job for September!! From September onwards, I will be better known as "Miss Farrow"  ;) as I become a teaching assistant in the loveliest village school (they even keep chickens!!) not far from where I live. The interview was really tough, sitting in front of 5 governors and the Headteacher, but out of another 8 candidates, I must have done something right!! :) 

I am so thankful for the support from my family and friends just lately, because I know I haven't been easy to live with! Now I have even more reasons to celebrate on graduation day! 

Three cheers everyone!! 

Hope you're all having a good start to July! 

Love Lissy xox

And June becomes July.

Thank goodness the sun graced us with its presence yesterday ready for the welcoming in of July! This weekend I had my first BBQ of the year (shocking) and drank lots of cider in the sun with friends. It's safe to say, that June has been a funny month for me. I finally took the plunge and moved everything out of my uni flat, facing the fact that I will no longer be living there :( very sad times! I've also had dramas with summer jobs, interviews and a serious lack of dollar! But on the positive side, I've been able to spend more time with family and be reunited with the beautiful friendlings back in Norfolk! 

Now that we've reached the first day of a new month, I thought I'd share with you a few things I'm looking forward to, or keeping my fingers crossed for...

1. Graduation! I can't wait to celebrate all of the hard work with some beautiful faces! (here's hoping tomorrow brings me the results I'm hoping for!)
2. More BBQs- please stay with us for a while mister sun!!
3. Girls holiday to France! 
4. Continuing with the Blogilates July calendar- day 1 was haaaarrd!!
5. Getting stuck in with some new reads- I have so many books lined up!
6. Spending time with friends in Norfolk- I want some drunken Norwich nights!
7. Some positive job news for once!
8. Having my boyfriend visit me <3

I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight because I'm so scared about finding out my degree classification tomorrow morning! Everyone keep their fingers and toes crossed please! 

I hope everyone's July lives up to expectations. :) 

Love Lissy xox