Life Lately & Things To Come ..

These photos have been sat in my drafts for a few weeks now, waiting for me to put some words down to go with them. This day in particular was a pretty nondescript, uneventful day but still beautiful nonetheless. We took a calm stroll along the Exe Estruary, heading towards the direction of my old hometown Exeter and met dad, who was fishing on the beach. The sea was flat and still, while the sky was weighing heavily with grey threatening clouds. It looked as though the heavens could open at any moment and piss down on us!

Teignmouth Grand Pier & The Boathouse

Sorry for the lack of posts! I've had these photos on my laptop since we returned from Devon but I just haven't had the time to sit down and do a post. I'm saving up for my first car so I've jumped straight back into working over 60 hours a week again. I rewarded myself with a weekend of doing the bare minimum. Most of it has been spent chilling in my pjs with my hair up, drinking tea and listening to Alabama Shakes on repeat. (Watch this if you haven't come across them before! Those vocals, those guitars!) My feet have only now stopped aching, my legs muscles have loosened up again and I feel well rested, energised. Ready to do it all over again this week.

I've been reflecting back to our little holiday in Devon this weekend, and I've been wishing for more hazy days eating ice cream, watching the seagulls bathe in the rockpools as the trains whizzed past overhead.
Today on the blog I'm doing a little throwback post to when we visited beautiful Teignmouth and the loveliest nautical pub, the Boathouse in Dawlish Warren. It's going to be quite a photo heavy one!

I'm feeling pretty happy with how these pics turned out, but you really have to visit Teignmouth to see how pretty and whimsical it is in real life.
The pier was built in 1865 with the original purpose of allowing people to step off the Steamboats onto land. Teignmouth quickly became a popular holiday destination for Victorians and doctors in the big smoky cities even prescribed exhausted patients a trip to the seaside to help their ailments. I reckon they were onto something, breathing in fresh sea air and a dip on the cool salty sea water does wonders for the body and mind!

Rainy days, Ducks & Puddles

Remember how I said the weather here was a bit hit and miss? Yesterday was just a complete washout.
Our day started off with a taxi ride into town to go feed the ducks ... and ended with us getting a soaking and retiring back to the caravan for tea and cake. Luckily today is looking a lot better; the sky is blue and the whole caravan smells like cut grass from outside! I'm being possibly over-optimistic today by wearing my new Kingston Batik Fish tunic from Fat Face with sandals. It won't rain today, it won't rain today ..

Here's yesterday in photos!

Little Devon Adventures: Dawlish Wall

Hello from (sort of) sunny Devon!

We're currently in my childhood holiday destination, Dawlish. Dawlish is a picturesque little town near Exeter, mostly known for its sea wall and the black swans that live in the brook which runs through the town. Even though Devon is only a stone's throw away from Cornwall, I've been especially excited to pop up for a week or two as this will be my last family holiday before I head off to start my Nursing degree in September. I also have a lovely new camera (thank you Alex!) to take lots of pretty photographs for you all on. 

I've lost count of how many times we've visited Dawlish over the years and wandered along the seawall, getting sunburnt shoulders and cheeks along the way. The weather has been kind of hit and miss since we got here; one minute it's scorching hot and I've been tying my hair up and peeling off layers, the next we're huddling together in shop doorways sheltering from the pelting rain with soggy toes in our flip flops. The walk from Dawlish Warren to Dawlish town is a pretty, scenic one anyway and I'd love to share some photos of our first walk into town with you ...

Little Cornish Adventures - St Ives

Did I mention I worked nearly 60 hours last week?

I must be crazy as I volunteered to do several 12 hour shifts in a row and towards the end of the week, I was thinking well ahead to my next day off and how I would spend it. During the occasional quiet moments on the ward, I found myself looking out of the window at the rare sight of blue skies and sunshine, wishing I was outside soaking in it. I couldn't wait to swap my ironed, stuffy uniform for a thin t-shirt and to treat my tired, achy feet to a walk across a sandy beach. 

Sunday in Porthleven

You have no idea how long I've been waiting to wear this coat!

I bought it completely on a whim whilst in Bath visiting Sarah a couple of years ago and up until Sunday, I'd worn it once. On the train home from said trip to Bath. I was wandering around the shops aimlessly daydreaming about future uni adventures after a particularly exciting open day at UWE, when I spotted this beautiful baby blue coat in Miss Selfridge. It was a bit out of my budget at £89 and I had already spent too much money at the makeup counter at Debenhams that weekend. I was definitely going to have to pick up some extra shifts at work to pay for food and bills when I got home. I didn't really need another coat. But it was so cute, I had to have it.

Afternoon Tea at Dolly's Tea Room & Gin Palace

"Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have our tea first?" - Peter Pan

One of my oldest, dearest friends, the lovely Sarah from the Salty Sea blog visited home from University this week. When organising a catch up, we both agreed we had to visit one of our favourite spots, Dolly's Tea Room in Falmouth to have a pot of tea, slice of cake and a good old natter. Dolly's is a one of a kind tea room with a wonderfully warm and welcoming atmosphere we frequently visit when we're both in Cornwall. It's always a perfect setting for a well overdue catch up, a delightful lunch before hitting the beach or the shops, or even a treat on special occasions!