Optimistic. Paul Smith.

Summer 2010. The best summer to date. Friendships grew, I met new people, saw new places, drink copious amounts of alcohol in beer gardens, back gardens, balconies and bars. Late night trips to the beach & not rolling up to the door step till the sun came up. Sunglasses on, music loud & windows down. Totally and utterly amazing. So I'm optimistic, now that the sun has arrived again, that this summer is going to follow in 2010's footsteps. I want this year to beat it, I want to not have a care in the world & enjoy summer just like the last.




Wondering why I've posted pictures of me looking like a scruff & giving you spiel about summer? I've been asked to collaborate with Paul Smith & the launch of his new fragrance Optimistic & these pictures of amazing memories are what makes me optimistic about this summer to come. The Paul Smith campaign is huge & very exciting so I nabbed the opportunity. The competition is being run through facebook & asks you to share & upload your most upbeat & optimistic photograph for a chance to win some amazing prizes. The 50 most liked photographs will win invites for themselves & a friend to attend the Paul Smith Optimistic summer party featuring a line-up of leading UK artists, & as if that prize isn't good enough the top three most liked photographs on the facebook app will win £500 to spend at Paul Smith. The competition doesn't stop there either, every 'Optimistic Monday' there's a new weekly prize to win, there's already been tickets to Bestival & the chance to meet Paul Smith himself. So like the Paul Smith Optimistic page, if not only to browse & be inspired by this greatly upbeat campaign but to upload your own pictures & have a chance to win some amazing prizes.

I'll keep you up to date either through my blog or twitter on up-to-date & exciting information on this. Also keep reading for a chance to win the fragrance its self on my blog.

So, what are you optimistic about?

Sporadic summary

This week brought payday. I like payday, it's lethal, for the first few days I just spend copious amounts but still imagine that full payday sum to be my bank account figure. It obviously isn't & I've spent about £350 over the past few days. Never mind, ey. I bought some beautiful things (possible posts to come) & had a great weekend.

I had the whole week off work, can't say I did much, but valuable time was spent with the boyfriend before he started work this week. A lovely - despite the drizzle - trip to the beach, cinema antics & a Saturday night at Brighton Beach. Fun was had. The week ended with me being in at work on Sunday, bit shit really, especially after my spectacular fall the night before resulting in my foot being in complete agony. Rubber heels & wet floors do not mix people!

The picture above is a little knitted chick that came with a cream egg inside, how cute?! What's even cuter is that they were made by kids at a local school. Respect to the kids, because I wouldn't know where to start! Despite the cream egg (oh and the day after the night before food) , eating healthy & swimming is going well. Finally found my motivation & I've definitely got my swim back, like a pro!

Baggu bags

Baggu bags, heard of them? I hadn't, despite some of their coverage being in Elle, Nylon and one of my favourite design blogs Design Sponge, I'd never heard or see them before. But I am definitely loving them now.

As a (ex/limbo) design student I'm drawn to these, the stunning colours, the simplicity of a great idea & of course the reason behind the bags. Want to know a little more about the ideas and people behing these? Watch this video.

If I knew about these when I was in uni it'd have saved me many an awkward trip carrying multiple books and A3 sketchbooks. I'd also have never forgotten these going shopping like I did multiple times with my massive tesco reusable bags. They come in little pockets, the material is made from the material loss when cutting out the neck of the bag, very economic & means you can just chuck these in your bag & not look like some loony bag lady with a mass pile of other reusable bags.

After researching these a little more, I actually want every type. Baggu for shopping, Baby Baggu for my lunch bag, Big Baggu for laundry, Duck Baggu for my laptop, books etc, you get the picture. I'd have a Baggu family.

Something I'm definitely considering for my Leeds Festival experience this year are these zipper bags. It'll easily compress my belongings, keep clean clothes away from the mud-ridden-dirty & the smaller ones would be amazing for little bits and bobs like the necessary skincare pieces, camera and I would say makeup, but who are we kidding, I'd definitely need the bigger zipper for that.

I love these things, very simple & practical but vibrant, my only problem is the shipping on the main website to the UK, $15, ouch. So instead.... Find Your Favorite Baggu Bag today, available now at SteadyGuy.