Since I've moved to Leeds I've spent a lot more time in and around town, but a lot less time reading. I actually enjoyed the daily commute and it gave me time to devour books, which I find hard to do now. However, with the SO going away tomorrow I'm looking forward to having more time to get into some books that have been on my to-do list for a while now. I am the Harry Potter generation and felt that a chapter of my life had closed when the final book came out (I'm not even joking), so was so excited when she released Casual Vacancy. However, I just couldn't get into it at all. I was a journalism student and the module on local government was the one I dreaded each week, so Casual Vacancy just wasn't for me. It was brilliantly written but the topic just didn't interest me at all. I was sad. I wanted more JK. Then the Cuckoo's Calling was released. A detective novel by one of my favourite people in the world. I LOVED it. Now, she has released another one with Cormoran Strike as the detective and I can't wait to get it - though I may wait for it to come out in paperback.
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Mexican - Cielo BlancoI love food. I can't help it, and to be honest it's a constant battle to not eat everything in sight, especially when in and around Mexican/Italian/Indian places. I've already done a post about Cielo Blanco in Leeds Trinity so I won't go into too much detail as you can find out all about it here. I will just say that I eat a LOT of Mexican food, whether that's at home, in restaurants or at food festivals and this is the best I've ever had. If you're a lover of Mexican food and plenty of Tequila (and great service) then you NEED to head over to Leeds Trinity and sample the delights from Cielo Blanco. I especially recommend the stuffed jalepenos if you like a bit of a kick in your food. Italian - Jamie's ItalianIn just a few months I will be turning 24. Twenty-four. Two entire decades and another four years. That's so odd. When I was small, I remember my oldest brother turning 18 and thinking it must be so odd to be a grown up and where I would be if I reached that age, The idea of being a fully-fledged adult the second you turn 18 seems like such a crazy concept now, and the (almost) six years between that age and now I think I've learned more, achieved more and generally just grown up more than during the other 18 years of life.
I'm not an expert, and I definitely don't have this whole 'life' thing down but I have learnt some stuff, some important stuff that I think most 20-somethings can relate to. So here are my life musings from a 23 and a bit year old, and I hope they aren't too cringey when I look back on them in a few year's time. When I'm writing them, I'm thinking about stuff I'd tell my 13-year-old self, so please don't think I'm being preachy. The past week has been a pretty hectic one swamped in a lot of last-minute wedding planning for my friend who ties the knot on Saturday. However, there has still been plenty bringing smiles to my face including this good ol' Yorkshire mug that the SO bought me as a little something. He's a charmer.
For me, the hardest part about moving to a new city is having to find new places to have dinner or drinks or a good pint. However, I think I've struck gold with Cielo Blanco. I first went with some work friends (we work in the centre of Leeds so it's about five minutes away) on the recommendation of another co-worker. I was a bit apprehensive as I absolutely HATE disappointing food. I needn't have worried though, as I have now been five or six times, with different groups of people and they have all LOVED it.
I love homeware. That's pretty much a fact. If I won the lottery I would go on a shopping spree around all of the homeware departments in all of the stores. I just love buying new things for my flat, I guess it's quite a girly trait and could be related to some sort of nesting I'm sure haha.
I'm pretty late to the fact that Next has been making some superb and beautiful homeware over the past few years. I only have to spend a couple of minutes on their site or in my store (which also has a Costa in, what? Absolutely brilliant idea there) to see how they make me feel like I need everything they have right this very minute. Much to the dismay of the SO who doesn't want to carry anymore stuff up the concrete stairs to my flat. With my Christmas and Birthday fast approaching I thought I'd start looking at things that I may put on my wishlist (or that might sneak their way into my home before). Me and the SO have been on a mission to try new things and new places to eat, which is pretty easy to do when you work in the centre of Leeds. So last night we decided to go to Loch Fyne and try their set menu. The SO has been keen to get more into seafood (I think he's having a small crisis about nearing 30) so we tried it out.
Happy Monday everyone! I'm feeling very proactive today, and thought I'd share some of my favourite links I've stumbled upon across the internet this week. Hopefully this will bring a smile to your face and go someway to cheering up your Monday. 22 Photos that will make you love foxes
I always have some kind of fondness of animals that most other people seem to hate, (apart from spiders and rats but I blame Harry Potter for the most part) but foxes have a special place in my heart. I just think they are the most beautiful creatures ever and they are part of British culture. I understand how people can be annoyed by them if they kill your livestock or whatever but we're on their patch not the other way around, and I don't understand how anyone could hurt them. And yes, I would love it if there were foxes at the bottom of my garden. When I first moved to Leeds I found it hard as I had never even visited the city before and it felt miles away from everything I knew at home. However, over the last two years I've been determined to make the best out of the situation and now I'm a little bit in love with Leeds. You'll never go hungry in Leeds
Over the past year or so I've noticed how many places to eat and drink there is in Leeds. From quirky places like the 1920's prohibition bar and Friends of Ham, to street food restaurants like Barburittos and Cielo Blanco, you will never struggle to find somewhere to eat an drink in Leeds. (I may do a top ten for my favourite places to eat in Leeds later). Trinity Kitchen is also a diamond and such a brilliant idea. If you haven't been (why not?!) it's like an indoor food festival with new places popping up all the time. I'm a lover of trying as many new things as possible and Leeds is perfect for that, though I do struggle to not go back to the same place because they are all so delicious. |