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Summer has finally arrived! YAY!
So far I've enjoyed camping, cocktails and trips to both the coast and country. I've also discovered Boomerang, but if you follow on Instagram you'll already know that.

HAPPY SUMMER (and Sunday)!

Weekend Inspiration #12

CATCH

A couple of weekends ago the boyfriend and I ventured to our new local seafood restaurant- Catch. Located in the small village of West Vale, Halifax. I'd researched the menu prior to this visit and was pretty amendment I wanted the Oysters. 
We are pretty lucky actually as its only a 15 minute walk from home which meant we could indulge in both Oysters and wine. I have to say the oysters did not disappoint! I've had oysters at home before but apparently they 'are much more enjoyable when you don't have to prepare them yourself' quoted the boyfriend.
We opted for Cod and Chips for our main, which again was great. There's no photo due to devouring this as soon as my plate hit the table but trust me it looked as good as it tasted. The menu has a great variety of seafood take a peak here. Overall great food in a relaxed, modern and inviting setting.
Catch, we will definitely be back soon for more Oysters and wine - hopefully in the sun and in the lovely courtyard. 

What I learned at a Feminism lecture

Last Friday my sister and I headed to the opening night of the 2016 Bradford Literature Festival. ‘How to be a feminist?’ was the title of the lecture. The guest panel included Mona Eltahawy, Lennie Gooding’s, Sunny Hundal and Ralph Darted. 

I have to say I’ve never really heard of any of these people before but they all brought different opinions on the subject and discussed feminism from different viewpoints.

I’ve always quietly believed in what feminism stands for – equality, integration and an understanding of women’s rights. Friday’s lecture honed in on the phrase ‘Equality and Liberation of Women’. It discussed women from different cultures, religions, countries and cities and how their lives are effected in different ways by feminism.  The topic of the Internet and social media was debated at length. How it gives young individuals the opportunity to discuss feminism and meet like-minded individuals who want to learn about and contribute to one of the key gender political issues of our time. The panel touched on interesting, humorous and serious topics and taught me how feminism is addressed around the world – through both speech and word. 

Publisher Lennie Gooding’s has enriched my reading list with books about feminism and others by interesting and talented females. Columnist and international speaker Mona Eltahawy spoke her mind about religious feminist issues from around the globe. I loved how both men and women could easily analyze a subject that is sometimes hard to discuss, without fear or judgement. 

The lecture ended with audience questions, an interesting one was ‘does class and social background have an influence on your understanding of feminism?’ I often agree that different social classes are more likely to understand the meaning of feminism, due to educational advantages. However I do think that this doesn’t mean you can’t learn about feminism independently - by using sources such as the Internet, books and social media you can gain an understanding of this subject and contribute however you like no matter what social background.

Friday night’s lecture was interesting and insightful and left me wanting to learn more about a very modern and powerful topic.

City of Love

If you follow me on Instagram you will already know that I recently returned from 3 nights in Paris. This is my second visit to the city of love and I couldn't wait to explore Paris again - this time with with Boyfriend in tow.
We decided to stay airbnb on our trip - if you are not aware of airbnb its where local people rent out their home to us tourists. I was a little dubious at first, but staying airbnb was so reasonably priced and we got a 'living in Paris' experience and I would definitely recommend it. Our airbnb (cosy Parisian studio) was located in Buttes-Chaumont a beautiful area full of bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes and more.
With only three days in the city we wanted to see as much as possible, The Eiffel Tower, the lourve, Latin Quarter, Montmartre, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and so much more. Paris is huge and no matter how many times I visit I'm sure there will always be more to see. I love taking the metro which is so easy to navigate, great for getting to places quickly and excellent for people watching - Parisian people are so effortlessly elegant no matter what they wear.
What made my weekend in Paris even more amazing was my wonderful Boyfriend of 10 years PROPOSING!!!! 

Images from the top - The Eiffel Tower and views, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Père Lachaise Cemetery, the Lourve, Jourdain - our local metro stop, Montmartre Flea Market, amazing Snails and 2 kilo of Steak at L'Escargot, Buttes-Chaumont, outfit from my last night in Paris and views from our airbnb.

Weekend Inspiration #11 - The Yorkshire Sculpture Park KAWS Exhibit

From top to bottom  - All This Time, Along the Way, Good Intentions and Small Lie.

Last Sunday I took a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which is an amazing outdoor space filled with art and sculptures to inspire our weekends.
I particularly went to see the new KAWS exhibit, KAWS is a US artist born in New Jersey. He creates characterful sculptures and complex colourful paintings that blur the boundaries between contemporary culture and fine art.
During his time as an artist KAWS has created many characters that resemble many cartoons and brand mascots from modern culture, including The Simpsons, Sponge bob and Mickey Mouse. But for them to appeal to an array of audiences KAWS adds emotion and meaning to them.
For instance Small Lie (which stands at 10 meters tall) 'looks like a child caught out telling a fib, knowing it has done wrong – head down in embarrassment and knees knocked in a protective, humbled, position. Being made of wood and with a long nose it brings to mind the story of Pinocchio, told to children as a thinly veiled warning about the consequences of lying.' (ysp.co.uk)
The KAWS exhibition will be at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park till 12.06.16, if you get chance this long Easter weekend I would definitely recommend a visit.