It's getting super cold, and to celebrate this, my sister and I decided to have a day out on the coast, complete with ice creams (yolo). 

It's been nearly a couple of weeks since I last updated my posts which is terrible! However I feel I can justify this due to my current back and forth lifestyle + additional dose of freshers flu :(. Having decided to stay in Fife with the parents for term time, (save save save mentality) I am now your regular sofa-surfing train traveling wifi hunter, commuting to Edinburgh whenever I have class, which (typically) now appears to be more or less every day. We'll see how this one pans out... 

In other news, I want to say a massive congrats to Stylonylon on winning the Free People Guest UK Blogger competition! If you haven't already, check out her blog posts on the Free People site here. It was super fun taking part and definitely has inspired me to blog more, and by doing so, learn more. Tonight I'm going to a photography club in Edinburgh to pick up some photo tips and meet some more photo lovers- I'm really excited!! 

I've been so ill with the cold that today was the first time in what feels like agesss that I ventured outside (ahh fresh air). Coughing and wheezing all the way down to the braes in my village I took my camera to try capture a bit of this awesome autumn-y day. Leaves gathering at the curb of the pathway, First Aid Kit on shuffle, trees thinning out to reveal the ice blue water of the Tay behind them.. I'm getting very excited for my favourite season!!!

I've started to make these '30 second films'. Well, I've only made a couple but my intention is to make two or three a week. They don't mean anything, there's no elaborate story line or double meaning, they just try to 'capture' something... an emotion, a feeling, an atmosphere. Also they're not always 30 seconds, this one is from my bike ride today and its over double the length I set, but ho hum what can you do. Anyway, more to come soon hopefully x

Cycling from Charlotte on Vimeo.

Finally got my film developed from my trip to the Isle of Mull & Iona. Plenty of photographs to flick through and make a collage or two, but for now I'm so sleepy, they'll have to wait till tomorrow...

I met a friend in Edinburgh on my day off this week, and was planning to take a load of pictures of the festival, maybe see a few free shows, but we were chatting for so long that I realised I only had half an hour for my train, so only managed to take a few pics and missed out on seeing any shows. Typical, but ack well there's always next year.. Here is a flash of what it's like

walking up and down the Royal Mile during the festival:

Definitely the best time to visit - <3 the Fringe

I had a day off from work today and I was feeling a bit arts-and-crafty. I had been wanting to make a kimono for agesss, but had never really gotten around to looking up patterns or finding the right material. I wasn't really in the mood for something that would require too much effort so the kimono idea was starting to fade fast when I came across an old bed cover (originally bought from a charity shop for £3). I loved the fabric so much and thought about making some of those dip-dyed doilies you see in Home & Garden, untilll I had another idea: a shoulder wrap/shawl thing! 

Pretty perfect for this time of year when wearing a coat is a bit too hot, but going out in a strappy dress is a bit too cold. I started by working out how wide I'd like it to be. I also decided to keep it as long as the original width (more of it to swoop around). After snipping and washing the fabric I mixed up my dyeing pot.

This was just a mixture of warm water, salt and a 1/2 pack of Dylon 'Tulip' coloured dye.

Such a bold colour!

 I kept it in the pot for about 2 hours, occasionally  mixing it. I also tried and failed to dip-dye the fabric, leaving half of it out the pot for the final half hour. Next time I'd probably leave it half out after 30 mins of submerging the fabric.

After rinsing the fabric in cold water, washing it in hot, and then rinsing again, I hung it out to dry...

Ta-daa! A completely transformed bed cover!

Can also be used as a table runner! Ooo multi-tasking shawl, not bad for an afternoons work :) 

I've just returned from an entire week of no signal, no wifi and no communication with anyone bar my family (am currently surrounded by facebook, twitter, instagram, am downloading a movie and Fiona Apple is blaring from Spotify...relapses eh). Not gonna lie, I did at times feel like I was in a celebrity rehabilitation center, however, I was actually living in a converted barn in the north Norfolk 'wilds'.

The closest thing to our barn was the pub (right next door, so y'know, not baaad). The next closest thing was the 'Horsey Wind-Pump' (yep...) and after that, was a beach, FULL of beautiful lovely cute squishy seals - I just wanted to roll around with them but I didn't. 

A week away from real life, was actually, pretty beneficial. I accepted the 'No Signal' note on my phone and embraced the idea of a week completely free from, well, everything. I got through two books, shot a load of photographs, went on walks and took in the lovely countryside.

We visited Cromer, a seaside town with a pier and  lots of casinos and arcades. Also Blickling House, a
National Trust stately home that used to belong to the Boleyn Family. I tried to imagine a young Anne playing in the surrounding fields...

For me though the seals were a total highlight

 The dreamy beach was especially captivating at sundown. I'd look out to sea and let it carry all my worries away...

Back to reality now, I've got work in an hour and a billion errands to run... will definitely be missing the fields and beaches of Norfolk today! 

It's hard to pick a favourite hot-spot in a city like Edinburgh... there are just too many! Even after three years of living here I'm still discovering cute cafes, amazing vintage stores and cool bars tucked away along its winding cobbled streets. More than anything I love how old this place is. It's SO old (The castle dates back to the 12th century) and I can't help but think it's a bit magical. I hate to admit there really is truth behind the city council's marketing team slogan 'Incredinburgh!' (ughh...).

You just need to take a walk down the Royal Mile to see/hear/taste and really feel the soul of the city. Every few steps you’ll pass a busking musician, street actor, story teller or even Elaine, the world’s most pierced woman! The Edinburgh festival has just begun and the city is swamped with performers from all over the world, there really is no better time to visit than right now in August.

To make it easier to pick my hot spots for Free People, I spent a day in town with my camera; here is where I went and what I did…

Elephant House Café

This is one of my favourite places for coffee in Edinburgh. And I can’t deny that one of the reasons is the fact Harry Potter was pretty much born here (not literally). JK Rowling used to write in this café at the back table, and look at her now! I’m secretly hoping there’s something in the croissants.

The bathrooms are covered in HP themed graffiti, mostly people from all over the world coming to share their appreciation (where would we be without Harry, after all?)

Scottish Modern Art Gallery

After a Latte and a cheeky wee bit of shortbread, I caught a free (!) bus up to the Scottish Modern Art Gallery. It’s really great for a day out as there are two huge galleries to look through (Modern 1 & Modern 2). I especially like the illuminated sign by Martin Creed, hanging at the entrance saying ‘Everything is going to be alright’, it’s just quite nice to know really.

Armstrong's Vintage Emporium 

After the gallery, I went to my favourite vintage store, Armstrong’s. There are three stores around Edinburgh but it’s the Grassmarket one that’s my favourite, just because it’s bigger, so more crazy dresses to browse through. Inside it’s like a massive wardrobe bomb has gone off. Beautiful dresses hang from every spot in the room, and a quirky mix of statues/mannequins and eclectic objects fill any remaining spaces.  Definitely a great place to kill an hour or two.

I could go on and on and on about this town, it really is amazing. Like nowhere else it continues to surprise, inspire and captivate. No matter where I go, I’ll never forget this crazy city…