the sun through the trees - part two

There are some things that feel a little better though, like when the sun breaks from behind the grey clouds, you manage to catch the setting sun in the woods, there is a pinecone in your pocket and some twigs in your hair and everything feels alright again. Sometimes it's really good to get out and get dirty, to cake your boots in mood and run through the frozen over puddles on the ground, feeling the ice crack beneath your unsuitable trainers. You forget what date it is, when the sun gets in your eyes and you feel hot for the first time all day; and on the walk home, the bulbs your mother and father planted are poking out of the ground in the garden, there is a red kite crying, somewhere above your head; you can take a deep breath and say that you'll get through it, because you always do.

part one

the sun through the trees - part one

I find winter a hard time - despite my adoration for the all the things I dream of in a winter, like crisp frosty mornings and brisk weekend walks in the sunshine, it always turns out differently. The crisp frosty mornings are less beautiful when walking to work in the dark at 8AM or scraping the ice from your car until your fingers are blue. The sunny Saturday strolls are few and far between in January and you spend a lot more time indoors, looking out at the rain falling, with the wind trying to get in through the cracks in the house than I do out walking in the sunshine. At times like these it's hard to push through without the lure of Christmas to cheer you on, your only hope is that the solstice has passed and that the days are getting longer again, the sun is lingering that little bit more and that soon it will be spring.

part two tomorrow...

winter walks

The weekend we found out that my grandmother wasn't going to get any better, I dragged myself out for a brisk walk around the lake. Looking back now, it was probably the last good autumn day we had, right before the quick descent into frosty mornings, dark evenings and wet afternoons. 

I never thought I would be one of those people that looks forward to exercise. What I didn't know as a chubby thirteen-year-old is that just because I didn't enjoy rounders in my PE kit, meant that I would hate all exercise, ever; really, I just hadn't found the thing I did enjoy. After a sad weekend cooped up in a car and feeling useless about things, I just knew I needed to do something. 

Maybe it is something to do with my need for control, but I felt like things were more manageable after getting air in my lungs. Maybe it's that when everything feels out of my hands, I can go and do something that I have decided on. Maybe, it is just that the ache in my limbs means I sleep more soundly, but whatever it is, it works, and I'm okay with that. It's hard to drag myself to a gym, at 5pm after work on a Monday night when it's icy cold, wet and rainy, but I am so much happier when I've been and I need to keep telling myself that. 

winter skin saviours

It always gets to mid-November, and my skin becomes a cracked, parched, sad mess. It really doesn't help when you're going from a super air-conditioned environment at work, to the virtually arctic temperatures outside, to an overheated house at home. Couple this with a sickness and period-induced-breakout, and basically my skin is a mess. Here are a few products I've been using to try and regain some control..

NEAL'S YARD CITRUS HAND SOFTENER

This is just my favourite hand cream du jour, but there are others out there. I picked this up for pennies in the staff shopping at work because the packaging was slightly damaged, and I love it. It sinks in well, leaves my hands feeling wonderfully soft, and smells citrusy, so what is not to love, really?

WAITROSE PURE BEAUTY BALM

I've been loving this a lot of late, because I've been ill. It's an odd product, as I'm not really sure what you'd use it for in the summer, but I've been enjoying it slapped on my lips or around the edges of my nose at work to try and combat the particularly sore skin I have from blowing my nose 100 times a day. I've also been using it on my cuticles to try and prevent them from splitting, and it seems to be working a treat.

KIEHL'S CREAMY EYE TREATMENT WITH AVOCADO

I think a side-effect of wearing makeup in dry hot and cold conditions has left me with some seriously unattractive dry skin around my eyes. I'd been using this up until a month or so ago when it ran out, and just sort of forgot to repurchase it, despite really liking it. When this dry skin appeared out of nowhere, I left it a few days before realising that I no-longer had this cream in my arsenal. With the wonders of click and collect, it was here the next day and already I've noticed an improvement in the skin around my eye. Similarly to the Watirose beauty balm, the product almost liquifies when it's heated up, and turns into a watery consistency that sinks into your skin. 

NUXE REVE DE MIEL ULTRA COMFORTABLE FACE CREAM

Unfortunately, I'm running severely low on this stuff, but it is my ultimate winter moisturiser. This stuff is thick and creamy and takes forever to be absorbed into the skin, so it's definitely not a morning product. I layer this stuff on at night before I go to bed, right down my neck and decollete and end up sticking to my pillow, but in the morning my skin loves me for it. It always looks noticeably plumper and more moisturised.

BLISTEX MEDPLUS

I had cracked and bleeding lips until I started using this.. they were gone in about two days, I didn't even know I could heal that quickly. It's also a fucking bargain at £1.50 in Sainsbury's at the moment, so I suggest stocking up.

MERUMAYA MELTING CLEANSING BALM

When I need to wash my face, I always think that I don't want to be using something overly drying and foaming, stripping any moisture or oils my skin might might have left. I love to cover my face in this, leave it as long as possible, then use a hot muslin cloth to gently steam it off. My skin feels amazing, afterwards and so smooth and moisturised.

So anyway, that is what I've been using to combat this dry winter of ours, if you have any recommendations, please let me know, I'm always up for trying something new!

snowy daze

I know everyone must be sick of snow-photos.. but this my blog and I loved them. Went for a little walk in the woods near my house, it was so quiet and peaceful (except for the occasional dog) and it started snowing whilst I was out.. I went and sheltered under a big tree where no-one was near and it was so calming. I have been writing my dissertation about the power of wandering, journeying and pilgrimages, amongst other things, and in writing it, I kind of forgot WHY I found it so interesting in the first place. So after finishing my first draft on Saturday (9971/10000!) I slammed my laptop lid shut, shoved on  my new boots and went for a tramp around in the snow. It was everything I needed, at the time, though my heels are a little sore from the new boots, haha..

Below the jump are a load of other photos, which I pray you look at, cause some I am quite proud of! 

Carpark After Dark

There are lots of things I dislike about winter. But there are an awful lot I adore. I was walking back to my car the other day after uni, it was just after the clocks had changed, and I didn't notice how late it was. When I got outside there was this weird, coolish weird, and the sky was all blue, but all the lights were on.. It was kind of eery, but I liked it. Then I got in my car and turned the heaters up and the music on and was all cozy again. It was a strange moment, and I took a few pictures.

I hope these dark nights are treating you well!

Clare Marie
xx

Smells like Autumn.

I start my degree on Monday and I'm pretty much just desperate to start already! I need a bit of something new in my life, and a fresh-start, or something.

And then I was on Tumblr the other day and saw this picture and I was like YES. This is what I want. I want hats and scarves and boots and autumn.

So I bought myself some boots and I dug out my scarves and I am looking forwad to being able to wear them. And this picture generally just emulates what I'm into for this Winter. I did a little hunting on my favourite websites, New Look, River Island, Dorothy Perkins, ASOS (I cannot WAIT until H&M open their online store!).

I'm totally buying into the whole chunky socks and boots trend, too, I want to hit up River Island and buy me some. The heeled boots with aviator-style-fluff are from New Look and I want them so badly. I just can't think where I would wear them, and as a five-ten girl, I don't really need boots like this, haha. So I compensated and bought the black boots in the bottom left, courtesy of River Island. They were only £40 and thought they would be useful for winter times and slogging about uni. I definitely want a big fairisle-style scarf, like the black and white River Island one or the grey New Look one in the bottom left. I also really want a parka. I'll have to see about that one.

In conclusion, it has rained all day and I want to start at uni already! Going to check out my friends halls down at Maidstone tomorrow, hoping this will get me all geared up for it. (:

What are you wearing this winter? Show me!