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The other week, my friend Chrissie and I had a day of exploring and photoshoots in Manchester's Northern Quarter and I have to say it was a fantastic day. Being from Manchester, I have visited the city centre many a time but still manage to find new and exciting things to do and visit whilst I'm there. And I won't lie, part of the fun of going out with friends is the inevitability of good food and good conversation. Am I right?!

With the eclectic creative vibe of the Northern Quarter it is impossible not to feel it's infectious charm and personality, so I've been looking forward to shooting some photos there for a while. Stevenson Square was the first stop with the walls of graffiti in all colours and forms that are ever changing. My favourite piece features a pair of hands forming a heart with the fingers and encasing a bee, the iconic symbol of Manchester. Although it isn't the most colourful of pieces with a palette of yellow, black and flesh tones with a red MCR, it really stood out...

We all know the feeling. The twinkly lights are down, your extended family have disappeared for another year and you've eaten and drank far too much. Those January blues begin to creep into the mind like weeds in the garden. It's about that time of year that you make those “personal promises” to yourself. The dreaded resolution! When you list all the ways in which you can better yourself for the year ahead. However, fast forward to about this time of year that we start to realise those promises we made with the best of intentions start to not be fulfilled. Whether it be going to the gym more or to save more money, I personally have never really stuck to a resolution properly. Not for the whole year anyway. Part of the problem is we picture these promises as far too big to accomplish. Who has time to workout everyday unless you're being paid for it? And you can delve into those savings to fund that new on trend handbag, right? This year, I have decided to give myself five smaller goals...

I have too many books! Honestly Waterstones would envy my house right now. But I am one of those people that firmly believes you can never have too many. I have a huge reading list for 2018 and I think it's my most diverse list ever. I have promised myself that one of my less serious resolutions would be to read more. A few years ago I would never have thought about picking up a book that wasn't fiction. But I like to think I am slowly branching out into other genres. In this post I have compiled a brief summary of all the books I want to read by the end of this year. Excuse me while I cancel all my plans and grab a coffee and a cosy blanket.

Waterstones Leatherbound Classics

I have become obsessed with collecting these beauties! I first fell in love with these books when I saw a small table of them in the shop and thought how great it would be to not only enjoy the words within but the aesthetic of the outside cover art too. I hate squeezing finished books onto my shelf and then have th...

Christmas is almost upon us! Despite the cold and gloomy weather that usually comes with the 
North of England. I’ve been pretty on it this year with gifts, but I’m constantly thinking about what else I need to get or when my next free day to do that extra thing that needs doing is. With so many errands to run, people to see and gifts to buy it’s easy to get carried away. The end result being a strained bank account and you feeling so much less than festive that you just want to sleep until the 1st of January. 
So I sat down the other night and made a list of 10 affordable and festive things to do this season to get you back into the Christmas spirit (and not just wanting to drown in the spirit of the alcoholic variety)

Photos featuring myself taken by Eloise Craven-Todd

Bake, bake and more baking - this is something I am keen to try out this year. I've come across so many delicious looking recipes this year and have become addicted to watching food programmes on TV with my mor...