just trying to let the sun in and open up my eyes

This week has been the longest and craziest week I have had for a while, and has left me feeling incredibly tired, dazed and confused but none the less excited for Spring (which seems to be almost upon us at last!) Trying to catch up with half-term/missed work from Wales has been daunting, and has had me up until the early hours most nights trying to meet deadlines. AS levels were originally easy to manage but all of a sudden have become really intense and stressful. It's not too bad though as I do like my subjects...but even so after spending about seven hours in total on our coursework essays for English with my friend yesterday I think I have actually forgotten how to write. Oh well.
In other news I have this last set of photos from Margate to post, from our last two days there (and my first set of film back from my new little Olympus Pen). I wore a skirt and top from Beyond Retro with an old shirt of my Mum's, a Topshop bag and coat and shoes from The Whitepepper.

My new-found love of necklaces is still going strong - I've always felt that I look weird in low-neck tops and so layering some necklaces seems to solve the problem. I also just love wearing jewellery at the moment and it's easy to pick up some little stones or charms to wear from places you visit.
Anyway, on the Tuesday I went to the Turner Contemporary Gallery to see the 'Self' exhibition, as it tied in perfectly with my current project in art. Also, the Gallery is free to visit, which makes a change as sometimes in London you end up paying quite a lot to get in to some art shows. The Gallery itself was beautiful, with huge glass windows, natural light and sea views, plus the chance to watch Felicity Allen as the artist in residence work on some absolutely amazing portraits of inspirational women for an exhibition in March (which I am definitely going to go back and see). While I was there she was working on a portrait of Rosie Wylie, and it took all of my self restraint not to just sit and watch the entire session.

The exhibition was really good, with work by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Gilbert and George, Lucien Freud, Georg Baselitz, Maggi Hambling and many others. I could probably have spent the entire day browsing and sketching but managed to drag myself away with the promise of lunch in the same pretty cupcake cafe we had eaten at before. We then went for a wander and a drive and ended up in Broadstairs, an old coastal haunt of mine that was crazily nostalgic to come back to.

Broadstairs was just as quaint and picturesque as I remembered, and I spent a long time watching the sun set over the sea and wondering what happened in the time since I was there last, before getting a traditional box of fish and chips to eat on the way home.
I also found a charity bookshop and got way too excited about the whole 50pence book thing. All I can say is I think I am sorted reading-material-wise for a good few months.

The next day was our last day, and was spent wandering around the shops for the last time before heading home. I wore a leopard print top from Beyond Retro with a striped jumper from Primark, old leggings of mine and my new jacket from a vintage shop in Margate.

Over the last two days I used up my first roll of film in the Olympus Pen I had bought on the first day, and I am actually so pleased with how they came out! I still need to get used to the settings (as it's not an SLR there are no aperture or focus settings) but it can produce some really good photos if used right. Also, it shoots half-frame - meaning for every roll of film I buy I can take double the amount of pictures, and they print with two photos per normal frame which I love.

1: Rosie, Felicity Allen // 2: Felicity Allen, cafe door // 3: cafe, cafe door // 4: coffee, cake

5: Emin graffiti, houses // 6: trees, fossil shop // 7: fossil shop, fish and chip shop sign

8: old curiosity shop // 9: Broadstairs beach // 10: Broadstairs beach

11: beach, fish and chip shop // 12: fish and chip shop, Rosie on the beach // 13: coffee

Hope you all have a lovely week!