30 fun things I want to experience before I'm 30.

I wrote myself this list a few years ago – I can’t remember exactly when, silly me didn’t put the date – but I recently rediscovered it lurking at the end of my list of notes on my phone.

It sure made for interesting reading, and, pleasingly, I’m now able to tick off a few things without even having set out to achieve them. Hoorah! When I wrote this list, I wasn’t planning on making a conscious effort to achieve these tasks. It was more a way of me putting pen to paper finger tips to phone screen and thinking about the experiences I want to have while I’m young.

Because this is the time, people! We’re told ALL. THE. TIME. that we MUST. NOT. waste the freedom that comes with youth, because otherwise we shall grow old with REGRETS! (And they’re the worst, aren’t they?) To quote five oh-so-wise young gentlemen, we need to "Live while we're young." Preach.

A lot of my list is clich矇, somewhat superficial, perhaps overly ambitious and really rather cringey, but I don’t think that’s a problem. Equally, they’re not specifically things you need to be under 30 to achieve – of course not! Age is no barrier to life. I think I just wanted to set myself a little target. Only eight and a half years to go!

I love a good list. You probably know that. I have far too many of them. This isn’t a list of my life or even career goals, but just a fun little selection of experiences I’d like to have.

Some of them might make you think, ‘You’ve never done that? Really?’ And others may make you go, ‘Yeah, keep dreamin’, sweetheart. Like that’s going to happen any time soon…’ But a gal’s gotta dream, hasn’t she?

So, without further ado...

1. Ride in a hot air balloon

2. Scuba dive and snorkel through corals and tropical fish

3. Climb a mountain

4. Go on a proper road trip

5. Sleep under the stars - done.

6. Learn self defence

7. Crash a party

8. Skydive

pic from destination360.com

9. Ride a gondola in Venice

10. Fly first class

11. Move to another city - done.

12. Volunteer – done.

13. Ride a luxury yacht

14. Ballroom dance

15. Make a million

pic from horsespa.com

16. Ride a horse on a beach

17. Drive a convertible

18. Meet a member of the Royal Family

19. Have a spa day – in the pipeline!

20. Go to a film premiere

21. Ride a moped in a European city

pic from restaurants-rome-italy.com

22. Eat pizza in Rome

23. Sit in a fashion show front row

24. Do a run/cycle for charity - done.

25. Live in Paris

26. Own a Mulberry handbag - done.

27. Take a proper cookery course – also in the pipeline!

28. Go on a fitness or yoga break

pic from bitrebels.com

29. Swim in a rooftop pool

30. Have afternoon tea at a posh hotel - done.

And there you have it! Safe to say I've got a way to go in achieving all this - any offers of help will be most gladly received! I'm pretty sure I could carry on listing things I want to do, places I want to visit and experiences I want to have for hours - my original list in actually longer - but I figured I'd stop at 30 (largely for the sake of this blog title.)

So what do ya think? Share any of my dreams/goals? Got any to add? Let me know!

Lovely things I'm loving #3.

1. Whistle and Wolf skirt

Guys I’ve got a new skirt! And isn’t she a beaut?

My new Green Floral Brocade Skirt was a lovely present from the Whistle & Wolf PR team – it came beautifully wrapped, too - thanks girls! How lucky am I!?

Obvs looks better on the model

Apparently, the Whistle & Wolf girl is flirtatious, frivolous and fun for S/S 14, and the collection is full of feminine dresses and a mix of sophisticated and mischievous prints. Unsurprisingly, I love the bright colours, bold prints and girly, retro shapes, and my fave piece is definitely this new skirt!

As a gal who doesn’t have a massive waist-to-hip difference, the A-line shape is just perfect for me, and I’m a huge fan of all things floral and shiny. Interwoven with gold thread, the skirt has a somewhat prim, posh and pretty vibe to it, which I absolutely adore.

It’s quite short so unfortunately won’t be a goer for school days. Unless I’m channelling Miss Mackenzie (yup, one for the Busted fans out there)… “I drop my pencil on the floor, she bends down and shows me more.” Probs not ideal.

I shall, however, style my skirt with thick, ribbed, grey, woollen tights to add a casual daytime touch, and whack out the sheer black 60 deniers (maybe even 40 come March WHAAAT!) for evening. With a simple black top or perhaps my cream pussy bow blouse, I’ll let my skirt do the talking. Perhaps with my knee-high patent boots too? Oh yes, I think so.

My skirt’s a size 10 and fits perfectly. Grab one for yourself for £45 online here!


2. Mulberry ‘ballet pink’ 

I want to be her.

OK, so truth be told I love about 97.634% of all things Mulberry, but I am particularly in love with everything in one of their latest shades, ballet pink. Maybe it’s because I’ve done ballet since I was two and it makes me think of years of soft, scuffed, well-loved pink ballet shoes. Or maybe it’s because I never grew out of that super girly phase and I love pink like a little girl. Meh.

Bow clutch wallet

When combined with the little ladylike bow as it is on a few of the oh-so-pretty purses and wallets, it’s almost too much for my inner nine-year-old to handle.

But it’s (for once) not just the bags I’m on about either, oh no. There are beautiful blazers, blouses, skirts and shoes in this most delightful of shades too.

In my opinion, grown-up women don’t wear enough pink. I think there’s this fear that we won’t be taken seriously if we do, but that’s just not the case. Especially not with so sophisticated a shade as ballet pink. (The same may not apply to neon pink though… see Katie Price circa 2005. *shudders*)


3. Betty Brice clutches

Betty Brice is another new discovery for me of late, and I am now a big admirer of her gorgeous clutches. I quote: “Romance, glitter and a love for all things 1920's. Betty Brice Bags are nostalgic, extravagant and frivolous, reflecting a sense of fun from the last days of decadence!” Um, YES!

The collections – very sweetly designed by two sisters and inspired by their grandmother’s wardrobe – are playful, sophisticated and oh-so-British. AKA, totally me. All design and production takes place in England which is awesome. I love the fact that each clutch is named after a different 20s flapper girl and am a big fan of the sparkling glitter fabric combined with the sumptuous soft leather.

That’s the Betsy – perf for an evening out, don’tcha think? And SO. PRETTY. But then there’s also the Kitty (tee hee that rhymed), which is perhaps a bit more wearable on a day-to-day business. I love the ‘I need a holiday’ slogan… Who can’t relate to that, eh?

Kitty

Alas, they’re not the cheapest of clutches - £125 for the Kitty and £140 for the Betsy – but aren’t they lovely? And at half-price, I’m particularly tempted by the patent peach ‘LOVE’ Kitty - £70 in the sale.

Valentine’s Day present to myself, maybe? It’s not like anyone else is going to give me a present. *cries but doesn’t really because she’s totally happy being single thanks very much, society*


4. Canvas Design photo print

It was my dad’s birthday on Monday. Obviously (and tragically), being in Germany and all meant I couldn’t celebrate with him in person, but I somewhat riskily ordered a present to be delivered to dear old Dad at home all the same. Readers, it all went swimmingly!

After umming and ahhing over which photo to choose for some time (and enjoying going through tons of old photos in the process), I finally picked one and had it printed on to an 18x14 inch canvas by Canvas Design. The canvas arrived the day before my dad’s birthday, and he loves it! YAY! They also told me beforehand on which day it’d be delivered – very impressive. Thanks Canvas Design.

The photo was only one from my iPhone (of my siblings and mum AKA all my dad’s fave people, I hope), yet it’s come out great. Dad took the picture on our family holiday in Brittany last summer, so hopefully it’ll transport him back there every time he sees it. I don’t know about you, but I find dads jolly hard to buy for. However, I feel a nice framed photo or big print is always a winner.

Delivery is free with Canvas Design, and they’ve also been so kind as to offer Handbags and Cupcakes readers a 15% discount with the code ‘BLOG15’. Isn’t that nice? Thanks, guys!


5. Russell and Bromley bag

Beaut

Speaking of presents… If I was rich I would so buy this for my sister. She’s called Holly. My sister, that is. Oh, but also the bag. Hence why I would buy it for her.

I love Russell and Bromley – give me a bit of that fine leather any day – and have been waiting for the Mini Willow in bordeaux to be reduced for over a year (I’m still hopeful!)

The Holly is one of R&B’s latest bags, and I think it’s a real beaut, don’t you? Particularly enjoyable as there’s also one called Ivy. Get it? The Holly and The Ivy? Tee hee hee.

Lovely leather

Oh, and there’s Monique too, which is almost my mum’s name (Monica.) Kind of. Ish. Not bothered that there’s no Rachel though… That gap is wide-open for a new beautiful bag inspired by yours truly. I have no doubt it’ll be the new It Bag. Alexa who? Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked by my handbag/life dreams…

The Holly is the big sister of the iconic Ivy, and is one of those classic totes that would go with everything. With multiple compartments and pockets, it really is as practical as it is chic – tr癡s important, I’m sure you’ll agree.

At £295, however, I’m not going to be able to splash out on my sister... Sorry, shweet’eart! But hey, we can admire from afar, right?


Question: are you ever more tempted by bags/shoes/clothes because of their name? I’m intrigued…

That’s all the pretty stuff I’ve got to share with you today, folks! Did you particularly like anything? Let me know! Stay tuned for more lovely things soon.

Year abroad: Making a new home homey.

Today is a good day. Why's that? you ask. Well, today is a good day because my second suitcase arrived (we'd shipped it from home using sendmybag.com which I thoroughly recommend), meaning I finally have my slippers, posters, Big Bear and one very precious bottle of squash. My flatmates found it amusing that for the past week I've had British teabags, but an extremely bare wardrobe. Priorities = sorted.

It's different for everyone, but I know that to feel settled and comfortable, I like to have everything unpacked, tidy and organised (neat freak? Me? Never!) Reminders of home and pretty things make me happy, and I think I've done a pretty good job of making my new home feel homey.

I still can't believe I've only been here for less than a week, and having finally unpacked my huge suitcase, done a load of laundry, hoovered (always good for the soul) and put up my (very many) decorations - alas, the fairy lights couldn't make it *sob* - I feel really very at home.

Bayreuth as a town still doesn't fail to take my breath away. I don't think the novelty of the oh-so-beautiful buildings is ever going to wear off. Wanna see a few pictures? Yeeeaaaah ya do. I know I posted a fair few in my last post about exploring Bayreuth, but I can't help it - every time I walk through town (oh, and I go through a PALACE on my way to work), I just want to take more photos as it's all so pretty. Enjoy...

What? Doesn't your town have a dinosaur?

Yeah that was quite a lot of photos, wasn't it? Sorry. But I'm hoping they slightly do justice to the wonderfulness I've been going on about. I really am finding it all rather delightful. Oh, did I already mention that?

Remember how I was waffling on about how much I like my flat in this post? Well now I've finally finished decorating (and as my previous post of room decorating tips and this one about my uni room last year went down well), I thought I'd share a few snaps with you...

My homemade bunting blows in the breeze when my skylight is open. That please me.

Photos = a must

I tied this cutie little bird to the blind pully thingy

Home comforts

How awesome is this little make-up shelf?

This beautiful bouquet was a birthday surprise from my wonderful parents, accompanied by scrapbook, iPad and planner.

Hooray for birthday cards!

Ahh. That was nice.

But I have to reiterate that I just feel so lucky to have been left so many lovely things and such a nice room - it looked delightful before I even exploded on to the scene with my plethora of girly bits and bobs. Some of my fellow year abroader friends have found themselves in unfurnished rooms, so I'm just so grateful I don't have to deal with getting furniture on top of everything else at the moment.

I say that, everything else is going really rather swimmingly. And worry not, dear friends (slash probably just dad... mum if I'm lucky), I shall keep you posted as my year abroad adventure continues. I can't promise not to keep posting pretty pictures of Bayreuth though. If it was good enough for Wagner...

Arriving, exploring and settling into my new German hometown, Bayreuth.

Despite the fact that I've been living here a mere three days, it feels like I've been in Bayreuth for aaaaaages. I'm hoping that's a sign of how well I'm settling in, and it really has all gone a lot more smoothly than I'd been anticipating. There have been no teary Skypes back home nor any curling up in the foetal position under my duvet. It's all, well, been great thus far.

The Hofgarten

Richard Wagner Festspiele

Bayreuth is a small city in northern Bavaria. It has a university (pleasingly), a spa, lots of shops, restaurants, caf矇s, bars, museums, a cinema, palace (classic Deutschland), opera house and a beautiful park, the Hofgarten. Bayreuth is most famous for being the home of Richard Wagner, so I'm going to have to visit the museum all about him at some point. Although apparently there's a typewriter museum somewhere here too, so really, my friends have plenty of reasons to come and visit. Am I right?

When I arrived at the station on Thursday afternoon, my school mentors were there to meet me and take me to my flat. Every German person I've met has been so helpful and kind, and my teachers made me feel like nothing was too much to ask of them, which was really nice. Having both been language assistants when they were students, they knew how I was feeling, and understood that all I really wanted to do was move into my flat, sort my life out and rest.

It isn't always easy to find accommodation for your year abroad, let alone good accommodation, but I appear to have really lucked out. In Germany, most students live in Wohngemeinschafts (WGs), and, naturally, there are a lot of really efficient websites for advertising when a room is up for rent. 

Earlier this summer, in a fit of panic, I spent days trawling through the internet in search of somewhere to live. Some people didn't reply to me at all, others said I would have to see the room in person (awks), but one group - a lovely trio of female students - offered me a Skype interview instead.

One stilted (from my end) German conversation later, I'd met my future roommates and they'd chosen me to live with them. I was so very happy! The pictures looked lovely, the rent was ridiculously cheap compared to Bristol and most other European cities, and the location seemed perfect.

However, I didn't want to get too too excited until I got there - it all seemed too good to be true! Readers, it truly is as great as I'd hoped.

The girls I'm living with have been amazing so far, and left me bedlinen, towels, MY OWN TV, hangers, all my furniture, speakers, stationery, pots, pans, plates, cutlery, a bike and all sorts (I'll probably do a hole other post about my new home.)

 Perhaps the most exciting factor, for me, is that THEY HAVE BAKING UTENSILS! And I'm talking lots of baking utensils. So many of my fellow year abroaders don't even have ovens, so I am very excited indeed. The German baking aisle in the supermarket has yet to be fully explored, but don't worry, it'll happen soon.

When I arrived in my flat, my first instinct was: tea and wifi. So, that happened. And it occurred to me that tea and wifi are sometimes all I need to feel settled. 

On my first evening in Bayreuth, my wonderful fellow language assistant, Emma, who'd already been here for a week or so, showed me round the town. Oh my word, I LOVE it!

Bayreuth is utterly charming! It's not the biggest of cities, but it's beautiful and traditionally German, which I adore. Cobbled streets and classic buildings always go down well with me.

As we wandered round, we were approached by two guys with a video camera who proceeded to interview me, auf deutsch, for their church. That was interesting (and potentially embarrassing) but good German practice I guess. My motto for the past few days has been warum nicht? (That's 'why not?', in case you didn't know.)

Emma and I decided to go for a really traditional German dinner in an equally traditional Bavarian restaurant, so Schnitzel mit Kartoffelsalat it was! And it was gooooood.

As we walked back home afterwards, I already felt like I was going to have a great time here. That said, it was all a bit overwhelming. More tea, Skype with the mother, a shower, GBBO and bed was the order of the day night.

Over the past few days, I've explored the town and started sorting out all the necessary adminny bits and bobs with my new German friend, Tanja, and I know I'm really lucky to have her here helping me with everything. Maybe if I was trying to do it all alone, the aforementioned teary Skypes would have occurred. Almost definitely, actually.

Germany seems a bit like France in that they have bakeries round every corner. And I'm certainly not complaining. So, yesterday morning, Tanja and I walked the 30 second trip to our nearest bakery and picked up some fresh German pretzels and bread rolls to have with homemade jam and nutella for breakfast. Mmm.

Then, we pootled off to the supermarket to stock up my kitchen cupboards. Don't you just love looking round foreign supermarkets? They have so many different things, and I find it really interesting. (Please say that's not just me...)

The best Ritter Sport. I'm excited to try this Lindt stuff. FINALLY I found peanut butter!

Continuing my initiation into the German culinary world, we had traditional Bratwurst for lunch. I liked Bratwurst. Tanja then took me round the town, helping me search for a Dirndl (not cheap!), find the best SIM card deal and pointing out the best shops, restaurants and clubs.

Bayreuth isn't the liveliest of cities, but it was really bustling yesterday thanks to it being Interkulturelle Woche (Intercultural Week - see, German's easy, right? Wrong.) 

A new Italian clothes store had just opened, and they were enticing customers with yet more traditional food and drink. It's safe to say it worked on us, and I sampled some Bayerischer Zwiebelkuchen (Bavarian onioncake - delish) and drank a glass of  Federweisse. It was delicious - sweet, like cider.

So, sufficiently fed and watered, we continued my private tour of Bayreuth before cycling back for some pre-night out R & R and more traditional German food for dinner in the shape of Maultasche - sort of giant ravioli pasta parcels, filled with meat, onions and the like. A delicious deutsch dinner. Food here is goooood.

Tea and cake, German-style. Mmmm...

And oh yes, I've had my first experience of German nightlife. Just like in the UK, the night kicks off with pre-drinking. I felt I should probably try the local beer, but between you and me, I didn't totally love it. Ssshhh. 

Next, our little group cycled through the chilly night air into town, and if it's this cold in September, I'm not looking forward to January.

It was nearly midnight, but apparently that's not yet clubtime - we paid our entry fees and got our stamps, but then went off for cocktails elsewhere. And oh my word, I had a good cocktail! It was Malibu and Baileys and pineapple juice and I'm not even sure what else, but it was pink and sweet and half-price. Alles gute.

I was just going with the flow (yolo), and after a cocktail each, we had a round of a very strange concoction - it was like a big shot of coffee-ish liquor and creamy stuff, set on fire. So yeah. That happened.

Then, it was club time. Now, I'd heard about German clubs before - odd-looking men and cheesy Europop were to be expected - and I have to say the reputation prevailed. I'm not sure if it's because it was a 90s themed night (yup, we had Backstreet Boys and Barbie Girl along with a load of German songs I'd never heard) or because it was a Saturday, and, naturally, that's when all the locals rather than students go out, but there were a lot of, well, old people in the club. Young people too, natch, but never before have I been in a club with so many over the age of 35 (no offence, oldies). They were clearly all having a ball though.

Although I didn't really know anyone or many of the songs, it was interesting and fun. When you're in a new country, everything is new and thus fascinating. Well, maybe not everything, but most things. 

But even fascination can't keep me awake all night, and I was happy to go home when we finally did. Readers, we didn't get home till 4am! And that is super late for yours truly. I'm middle-aged like that. 

I suppose I should think of it as my 21st birthday night out, seeing as it's my birthday tomorrow and all. That's weird. It doesn't feel like my birthday eve at all. In fact, I keep forgetting, which is very unlike me. But whatever tomorrow, next week and the rest of my time in Germany shall bring, I'm determined to embrace it.

Sure, I still have a lot of difficult, annoying things like registering at the Einwohnermeldeamt and opening a bank account to deal with, but WE'LL GET THERE. And I know there are still going to be moments where I get suddenly struck with a pang of homeseickness. It all takes time, this settling in malarkey. But I have a feeling it's going to be a cracking six months. And remember, warum nicht?