Japan Haul (with prices)

 Hello darlings,

So I thought I would show you what I purchased in Japan because it is a really fabulous place to shop and I did buy a few things (although I was quite restrained). There were a lot of things I had on my shopping list that I didn't get around to purchasing but mostly I am pleased. I will include prices if I can find them in case you are curious.

Fabric and Stationary

I was really excited for the fabric shopping in Japan because I have in the past brought fabric made and designed in JPN- they are lovely quality and really unique designs however slightly expensive to buy in the UK. I stumbled upon a fabric shop in Kyoto on the main drag and I brought some fabric. I brought just under 3 metres of a pink peacock print cotton fabric which is going to become pyjamas either for myself or as a Christmas gift for my sister. Just over half a metre of a vintage style floral cotton fabric and half a metre of a (chiffon? voile?) lilac check cotton. These came to £10.41 which I think is good value. My sister wanted me to buy her the chiffon to make her a top and I am really excited for the challenge.

I brought some Hello Kitty notelets and I love the aesthetic of these. I love hello kitty but I prefer a more vintage Hello Kitty aesthetic (think primary colours) rather than really pink and girly. I brought these from Itoya (£1.74).

Also while I was in Japan my family and I fell in love with the character Mofusand which are cats that dress up as different food and animals- really cute. Anyway I picked up some mofusand birthday pop up cards...

I brought these shrine gate notelets which come with envelopes (£2). These are so cute. 

Fashion and accessories

I brought this vintage FENDI clip (tbh I think it is real) for around £2 in a second hand shop. I think it is really chic but if I don't get on with it I have a friend who might like it.

I brought a Hello Kitty Claw clip because (bit of a long story) I had a tourist card which I had put some money on to and on the last night I realised I had like £30 on it and I had to spend it in a 24 hour pharmacy, anyway I brought this kitty claw clip (along with lots of other bits and bobs) and I love the colour. I look forward to wearing it.

I saw these floral Sambas in a few shops; I liked them but what sold me was the way they had been displayed in the adidas shop with ribbons for laces. So I purchased the ribbon first (they didn't have my size in the trainers) which came to £12 (I am such a mug). Then eventually I managed to find a shop with the trainers in my size and these came to £74 taxfree. I am so pleased with these; I think they are so cute. I will take a photo when I have laced them. 

I seem to always buy underwear when I am on holiday; I just don't feel that inspired by underwear shops in the UK. Anyway they had some adorable underwear shops in Japan and I stumbled on this shop that was selling cute floral underwear, so I brought two knickers and a bra. These were tax free and came to £33.92. I am so pleased with these. I was actually so restrained. 

I picked up this cute Hello Kitty comb from a sanrio shop (£3) which I am going to keep in my handbag. 

Random and Gifts

They are obsessed with flannels in Japan (everywhere sold flannels), I brought a owl flannel for myself, a bunny flannel for my friend (£4 each) and then I brought a bear flannel (I think it was £7) for my partner. 

I brought myself a tin of matcha and a whisk (£20.66) for myself and then I also brought more matcha as gift for my friend and partner (£13.05). I wasn't really sure what I was buying so I hope I have selected well. 

I brought some Mofusand chopsticks for my friend which have mofusand as a cherry.

I went on the Hello Kitty bullet train and there was a gift whop and I might have gone a bit crazy. I brought a drawstring bag, keyring and stickers. 

I got a Mofusands Melon soda float keyring from a gashapon.

I also brought some Beats fit pro in lilac and these were a spontaneous purchase because my family were looking at ear phones and I just realised the prices were really good. They were tax free and came to £113.22. I went for these because my sister owns a pair and said they don't fall out your ears like the airpods- she had purchased these last year for over £200. So yeah I am pleased with these.

The ones that got away :(

I have had my eyes on an LV papillon for a few years now and I really like that it has that classic Louis Vuitton look but isn't in a style that is really popular. Anyway second hand handbag prices are pretty good in Japan and it is worth checking out. I tried on six of these bloody bags and all fairly priced... but I just didn't bite. I was never in the right headspace, always tired, hungry or nervous. Anyway I really regret not getting one but...I have fallen in love with that bag even more and I will be keeping my eye out in the UK.

I fancied getting some onitsuka tigers but they are having a bit of a moment and the shops were so busy I couldn't think straight. I also find with onitsuka tigers that it is a very fine line between being cool and being reallly dorky; I would fall into the dorky category. They were a great price though.

Okay I will chat with you on Friday!

Love,

Happy Hippo x

Revenge Friday- I am back and tips for making a holiday scrapbook

 Hello Darlings,

I hope you have been doing well. I have been away on holiday traveling in Japan for the past two or three weeks. So my sister and I while we were away were loving making a scrapbook and so I thought this week I would share some tips on how to create a holiday scrapbook. 

Tips for making a holiday scrapbook (with Japan specific tips)

• I think the first step of making a holiday scrapbook is to decide whether you want to include printed photos in it. My sister and I decided not to because we wanted to work on ours on the go. If you decide not to include photos you can always put a wallet or pocket in it to keep photos in it.
• Do your scrapbook while on holiday using a smaller notebook- we used a pocket size notebook.
• I would recommend using double sided cellotape or glue tape instead of glue as it just created a neater appearance- so the things you stick down do not become rippled or start lifting at the corners.
• If you get sort of perfectionist or intimidated I would recommend to start by sticking everything in and you can add titles and decoration later.
• Stickers are so cute for adding decoration and they don't have to be childish either you can get some really pretty ones. I would say to avoid 3d decoration, like I personally would avoid sticky gems, puffy stickers and basically anything else that isn't flat; it just makes it difficult to write in it.
• I would collect the little tickets, leaflets, tokens ect in a little wallet as I was traveling. I was using a Hello Kitty Shinkansen drawstring bag. But yeah just make sure to have like a designated wallet or poly pocket to keep your pieces in.

Japan specific tips:

So if you are visiting Japan you can collect Eki stamps which are decorative stamps found in train stations. Then you can also sometimes find stamps at tourist attractions, museums, some temples, tourist information ect. For the first five days of the holiday we didn't collect any of the stamps but once we had found our first one we sort of understood what we were looking out for. 

My sister and I are not purists so our little books have a mixture of stamps, tickets, paper and stickers ect stuck in, however you can just collect the stamps. For the notebook the best size to get would be a passport size notebook. 

You can get gorgeous stickers in Japan which are Japan themed- we got pretty cranes, sushi and fans. They sell these in shops such as LOFT, Hands and Itoya.

Revenge Friday

I didn't get up to much as I was sort of recovering from the flight; I was unpacking my bag and having a look at the things I purchased while I was away (I think I will post a haul mid next week). I went for lunch with my sister before she took a flight. Other than that I was just resting from the flight and my PMS.

At the weekend I went to the V&A to the exhibition Fragile Beauty: photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection. It is an amazing collection of photographs from a broad range of subjects. I really recommend visiting- it is fabulous.

Okay I will chat with you on Friday!

Love,

Happy hippo x

Revenge Friday- Crystal Palace, Uniqlo haul, life

 Hello darlings, 

I hope you had a good weekend. Also, who else wasted last Saturday Morning in that fucking Ticketmaster queue? At 12:15 I made the executive decision to cut my loses because I knew even if I did access it I would have been totally priced out by that point. I wasn't even in the actual queue, I was just in the queue to access the website.

I did manage to salvage my Saturday: I went to Sloane Square to the Saatchi Gallery to see a fashion photography exhibition Beyond Fashion. There is a really great food market on Duke of York Square and there are loads of options and if it is good weather you can have a picnic on the square; that is what I did and I went for Moroccan cuisine.

 On Sunday I met up with my partner and we went to the British Museum- I hadn't been in years. We had a walk around the museum which was fun and actually it was good going with someone who is into history . 

After we went to an arcade called Novelty Automation which was like a 6 minute walk away. The arcade machines are sort of very quirky and satirical; there was one which recreated working in an Amazon warehouse, one which you practice money laundering, another where you fight to keep the house in a divorce and yeah some really funny games. Most of the machines were created by Tim Hunkin who is a cartoonist and engineer. We purchased 10 token for £9 and the machines take 1-2 tokens. I would definitely recommend visiting if you are in the area. It was really good fun.

Revenge Friday

I planned to go to Battersea Power Station on Friday but for some reason I could just not bring myself to go... it just does not seem my vibe at all. So instead I just had a lowkey day.

I decided on a trip to Crystal Palace. I am planning a bedroom makeover and I have decided to replace the  furniture so I had a look around a few second hand furniture shops there.

Crystal Palace Antiques has four floors of mostly mid-century furniture. I have been wanting a mid-century dresser and they had quite a few in the shop but... I have to be realistic with myself: my clothes are not all going to fit in a 1960's dresser. People didn't really own as many clothes back then and so the dressers are quite small. Nothing else peaked my interest.

So hunched haha.

I did quite like these mirrors which they had two in the shop and I love how elegant and minimalist they look. Although I think before I start buying accessories, changing the furniture is a priority.

For lunch we went to Spinach which is a new brunch place on the triangle. It was really good. 

They have several really good health food shops and refill shops on the triangle. We got some empty soap bottles refilled in La Amazonas. We went in a few boutiques.

Then I just went home to relax and do a bit of work on my laptop. I say this all the time but my period was really getting to me.

Uniqlo Haul

I was in Oxford with my partner a few days ago and I went to Uniqlo which is a shop I used to shop at a lot but in the last few years I hardly ever go in tbh. When I was younger I used to get really sucked in by their sanrio (I love hello kitty) and other cartoon character collections.

Anyway, I popped in and I was really pleasantly surprised. I picked up this white turtle neck jumper and I think the shape and fit is really chic; it is 100% wool so hopefully it holds up okay (sometimes knitwear from fast fashion brands can be really questionable quality). This will be perfect for work though with some smart trousers.

Then I also purchased some flared leggings which again I like the shape of these- I find some brands have a really exaggerated flare.

I feel very huggable in this outfit.

Okay so I am not going to post until October because I am going away for a month but I have loads of blogposts planned for when I come back. Stay fabulous!

Love,

Happy hippo x

Revenge Friday: V&A, Shoreditch and life

 Hello darlings

I hope your bank hols was restful. I always find that the end of summer and September is when I like to set some intentions for the rest of the year. So yeah I have been deep in thought and I am trying to do as much on my days off while it is still summer.

Bank hols

I have been watching Twin Peaks (on Paramount +) which I have been really liking so far I am on S1E4. I am loving it. 

On Sunday, I went to the V&A and I went to see an exhibition called Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence; it was quite a nerdy exhibition but I did sort of get it and learn something. I had the impression that everyone there was really into it and I don't know anything about this basically. The premise of the exhibition was about the modernist architecture that was built in India and West Africa designed by architects such as Le Corbusier. 

On Tuesday I went to the Young V&A because I wanted to see the exhibition Japan Myths to Manga and it was really interesting to learn about the Japanese folklore. I have purchased a membership for the V&A so I am trying to get my moneys worth. Afterwards I had lunch in a Venezuelan place opposite (Arepa & co) and I got a vegetarian Arepa which was really good. I then walked to Shoreditch and had a browse of the vintage markets- I always find the vendors to be really intimidating. I walked to Columbia road because I like the boutiques on that street they feel quite upmarket but on a Tuesday it was completely dead. I went in a shop and felt pressured (weird story) to buy an overpriced birthday card for my sister (4.50!). Then I grabbed a matcha and sat in a green to sip it. Grabbed some bagels on Brick Lane and headed home. I had such a nice day and I love that area. 

However... (I am going to go on one of the tangents) I had gone to this museum in my childhood but I haven't been for many years since it was renovated. It is completely different, when I used to go there as a child it was called the Museum of Childhood and it was basically just a museum about toys but since its been renovated it is now the Young V&A so it is like a museum for children. That may sound like the same thing but they are completely different concepts. So basically I didn't realise I was going to a children's exhibition basically... 

Revenge Friday

I was at work and then when I got home I was exhausted and processing the day I had. I watched a Twin Peaks and I am also working on a little project at the moment- I will tell you when I have some success in it. So I didn't do anything too exciting.

Also comment below like what time of year you like to set goals, intentions and resolutions. Okay have a fabulous week. 

Love 

Happy hippo x

Revenge Friday: Gut feelings don't exist, Summery Days Out and Life

Hello darlings

I hope you are doing well and have some nice plans for the bank holiday. I had quite a chill week. I was at work on Friday but I have had some time this week to do some fun summer days out.

What I have been up to

Charity shop brunch day: I popped to the highstreet one day this week to do some errands. I got some brunch. I went for a matcha and toasted sandwich. There are over 8 charity shops and once a month I try to do a charity shop run. I picked up this adorable dress which tbh I could wear to work or on a date with my partner- with some espadrilles or some ballet flats it will be sooo cute.

My back camera has broken lol, so I had to take a selfie next to a mirror- I must have just forgotten self timer exists.

Serpentine Gallery: I went to the Serpentine last Sunday (I think- the days are sort of bleeding into each other) which is always a summery vibe. The gallery is in two buildings; in the South Gallery they have Yinka Shonibare's Suspended States exhibition and in the North Gallery they have Judy Chicago: Revelations. Both exhibitions are worth a visit (they are also free entry) but Judy Chicago was particularly amazing and an artist I wasn't familiar with. In the Serpentine they have their yearly summer pavilion... it wasn't my favourite.

They also had a Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin in Hyde Park. 

Defo go to the Serpentine before summer ends; I think both exhibitions are ending early September. I grabbed some sushi to eat in the park and it was really zen.

The Biba Story (Fashion and Textile Museum): My mum and I went to the Fashion and Textile museum to go to the Biba exhibition. Biba was like a fashion and lifestyle boutique in the 60's and 70's which tbh was quite short lived. The exhibition was interesting but I did sort of have more questions than answers, like it didn't really explain why it closed down. I also wish they made it feel like you were in a Biba boutique. Exhibition was really interesting; some of the clothes were gorgeous. I think I defo would have shopped there if I was born 50 years earlier.

 After visiting the exhibition I had a browse down Bermondsey street and I went for a matcha latte at Fuckoffee. I really like Bermondsey street ugh I wish I could live there.

Can we really trust our gut? No, not if you have anxiety.

I don’t know if I will be able to articulate this but I was thinking about the idea of gut feelings or gut instinct. When talking about gut feeling people are normally talking about a bad gut feeling: the feeling that a situation, something or someone is bad or dangerous. A gut feeling is often portrayed as a premonition. On social media we hear stories of people who had a gut feeling who heroically acted on it or fatally didn’t. Or we hear guru’s who tell us to be aligned with our gut and to always trust our gut feelings.

Gut feelings don’t exist. We can have a bad feeling about something or someone, but it is based on the evidence in front of us however subtle that is. Do premonitions exist? I don’t think so. Now you might disagree with me. The truth is though if you have anxiety you need to forget the idea of a ‘gut feeling’ because a ‘gut feeling’ (whatever that is) feels like anxiety vice versa. Anxiety is going to present itself as a sort of premonition- ‘I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen today’ or ‘I think I am going to die in a car crash today’.

I just want to reassure you that it is not your responsibility to live by your gut or be in tune with your gut. You live with the logic in your head and hope for the best. It is quite bold for me to say ‘don’t trust your gut’ because it goes so against what we have been told but the idea of a gut feeling is going to keep you trapped and confused.

Revenge Friday

I left work at like 15:00 and I hadn't eaten since breakfast- I was about to drop. So, I grabbed myself a mezze platter from a Turkish restaurant which was really good. Anyway, I went home and rotted on my bed for two hours.

I said I would read 5 books this summer and I have managed to complete one today so four more to go. I probably need to speed it up a bit lol.

Okay have a fabulous week. 

Love

Happy hippo x

Revenge Friday- I am back from hols, Holiday Reset and London

 Hello darlings

I have been on hols for a couple of weeks. I went to stay with my sis in the South of France and then I went to the champagne region of France. I also had two day trips to Paris to see the Olympics which was fun. I went to the Women's Break Dancing final and then another day I just spent exploring Paris. I had a fab time.

Random Things I Have Purchased on hols

-I picked up these sandals from a shoe shop in France. My other sandals I have had for two years and I have still been wearing them but they are falling apart. I picked up some silver sandals with studs (Valentino vibes) from the brand Les Tropeziennes. I love these. I don't think they are as versatile as my other sandals but they are really cute for like wearing with a dress on a night out or a cute denim short look.

-I was walking past a boutique in the Marais and a white belt with a beetle buckle caught my eye. Sadly they didn't have my size but I did pick it up in black and I think it looks cool. I have been after a new belt for ages but I haven't really liked anything. This is perfect.

I'll post a better picture when I get round to wearing it.

-I love buying local delicacies when I am on holiday. I kept on seeing champagne liquor truffles shaped like champagne corks (cute) in the town and I purchased some as a gift and I got some for myself too. I didn't think they were that nice when I first tried them but the taste has actually grown on me- I have had two as a little treat in the evening for the past week. Then I purchased these pink biscuits which were also like a delicacy in the area and... I am not a fan of these. I got a packet for my friend so I hope she likes these better than I did. I got a few other little treats for my partner- wine, chocolates and Les Anis de Flavigny sweets (I have always wanted to these). 

-I wanted to buy my friend some beauty products because when we went to France together I was showing her some of the good items to get from the Pharmacy but she didn't have any room in the liquid allowance bag. Anyway I purchased a cute little Nuxe set for her- I love getting the sets just to try out the different products. I also picked up this Caudalie travel set for myself because when I left the SofF I didn't have a shower gel or face wash.

Revenge Friday

I have been trying to do a few things in London since I have been back. I met up with my dad one day after work and we went to an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. There is an exhibition, Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere which has some really interesting artworks: the first room has large striking collages/paintings; there are sculptures that use human hair; and on the roof of the building is a model ship of the Black Star Liner but it is like a party boat playing music. There are loads of other really interesting pieces in different mediums. It is really good. I really like the Hayward.

I went to a really great film at the BFI Southbank. It is called Sky Peals and it is basically about a man whose estranged father dies and basically in his grief he starts considering that maybe his father was an alien. The core of the film is about someone who doesn't feel they fit in; the main character Adam works in a motorway service station (which sort of looks like a spaceship) and he is experiencing these physical and psychological sensations and weird things keep on happening to him. It is small release so I think it is mainly being shown at the BFI but yeah I would defo recommend it if it sounds like something you would be interested in.

If you are under 25 you can get £3 tickets at the BFI Southbank- it is a bit of a faff to sign up because you need to show ID in person but it is worth it for affordable tickets in a Central London location. I have heard that at the Barbican you can also get £5 tickets for films and exhibitions if you are under 25. 

Holiday Resetting

I often get it where you go away on holiday and half way through the holiday you sort of get desperate to come home and do everything that’s waiting for you at home like idk water the plant on your desk, catch up with your colleagues, finish that DIY project, apply for a job, organise your wardrobe, or whatever it is. Holidays give you a lot of time to think about your life and reflect. Like you want to action all these ideas that you are thinking about.

Anyway I have done some re-evaluating while I have been away. I am going to make a manifestation board (I normally make them for the new academic year- for me September is like the new year) and I have written down some things I want to do in the summer.

Chat soon!

Love

Happy hippo

Revenge Friday- Abroad Travel Tips, Chit chat and What I Have Been Watching

 Hello darlings,

I hope you are doing well. I thought this week I would share some tips for traveling abroad because it is summer and you might be going away.

Things I Have Been Watching

Society of the Snow (Netflix)- I did start watching this a month or so back and then honesty I just found it really upsetting so I stopped watching it a third way through. Then last week I was scrolling on Netflix and I thought I should probably get closure- like I need to see if they get rescued. This film is based on a true story of a plane that crashed in the Andes and the sort of extreme measures they went to to survive. I would actually recommend this. It is very sympathetic portrayal.

Bridgette Jone's Diary (watch on Netflix)- I watched this with my friend last week and we really liked it. It definitley makes me want to watch the others in the series. 

Depp v Heard (Netflix)- I am slightly late to this because I didn't really follow the whole court case at the time. I didn't have much affinity for either of them. However, now the dust has settled I found this documentary quite interesting.

Dopesick (watch on BBC Iplayer)- I watched this drama on BBC Iplayer about the opioid epidemic and the painkiller Oxycotin. It is not only about the people who became addicted to it and how, but also the people that worked for the company including the people that worked in sales. It is really interesting. I think you can also watch it on Hulu. I would recommend it.

7 Tips for Traveling Abroad

-Research, research, research, 

You are going to want to google stuff such as: common scams, etiquette, places to avoid, overhyped tourist attractions.

-Guidebooks

I look like such a tourist on hols with my guidebook and map but I really do swear by it. It gives you something to read on the plane or on an evening. I also feel much more at ease when I have a guidebook because it has loads of helpful information and you don't have to rely on your phone. The recommendations for cafes and restaurants are good. I like using the map and plotting out where I’ll go. The only thing is you will look like such a dork.

-Put the exchange rate as your screensaver

I have stolen this idea off my aunt who had the currency exchange rate as a screenshot and she had saved it as her screensaver. I sort of know euros and I can do the maths in my head but for countries whose currency I am not as familiar with, I think this could be handy. 

-Longchamp Pilage

This isn't a tip per se however I love bringing my brown small Longchamp on holiday with me. I hardly wear it in London but I find for travel it is perfect because it folds up, it fits the essentials (the guidebook and water bottle) and it is lightweight. They are more elevated than just a cotton tote.

-Fun Research

I love watching films, TV series, reading books and any other fun research before you go away. I think it just enriches your holiday so much more.

-Is your passport in date?

I got caught out by my passport being out of date and I am still kicking myself two years later. I realised it the evening before after travelling 5 hours home. I never thought I would be caught out by this... never. I could not believe it. 

-Modest Summer Clothes

I definitely have a bit of a gap in my wardrobe for like modest summer clothes. Like I have loads of lovely summer clothes but it’s like shorts, camisoles and short dresses. I am going on hols somewhere soon which has a lot of religious sites so I am in a bit of a predicament. I am going to try to not leave it to the last minute to work out some outfits.

-Ask for alone time

I am definitely someone that needs alone time when I am on holiday. So if you are a bit like me and you're going on hols defo idk maybe put out the word beforehand that you might need to have an evening to yourself. 

Revenge Friday

I was going on hols a few days after.

I did a guided walk locally of different Modernist estates. I found a selection of these printed guided walks in my parents letter rack and I thought I would give one a go.

It was quite interesting and it was perfect because I wanted to do something but I didn't really want to trek too far from my house. I did worry that I might look like I am up to no good snooping about lol.

I liked this estate.

I also went for brunch, hoovered the lounge and got my eyebrows threaded. I had a nice and chill day.

Okay I am currently on hols and realised I forgot to post this. 

Lots of love, 

Happy hippo x