Recently Played

I am a huge fan of music, I couldn't get through a day without listening to it in some form. I usually have music on when I am getting ready for work in the morning, listen to my iPod on the walk to work, on the way home from work, when I get home from work and most days I listen to music in my bed before I go to sleep. I love music posts on blogs that I follow or when a blogger features a song in a blog post, especially if it is a singer or band I haven't heard of before. It's such a satisfying feeling when you stumble upon a song that you have never heard before and you get so hooked to it that you have to listen to it over and over. 

So I thought I would show you what songs I have been hooked on lately:

I had heard of Twin Atlantic but had never really listened to them before until I caught a couple of minutes of the TV coverage of them playing T in the park and I liked what I heard. It was this song that I saw them play and ever since then I literally have not stopped listening to it. I've had a listen to some of their other stuff on Spotify too, but this song still sticks out as my favourite. Got to love the Scottish accent!

I have been a Kate Bush fan for a pretty long time and I really love this 2012 remix that was used in the Olympic closing ceremony. I'm not usually one for remixes as I would probably always prefer the original. With this song however, I think this remix and the original are equally as good, and I was surprised how many Kate Bush fans on YouTube were saying they actually think this version is better. 

Again, I have always been a huge fan of Amy MacDonald since her first single 'Mr Rock and Roll' quite a few years back. So when I noticed that she had a new album out I had to have a listen and it didn't fail to impress me. This track was the one that seemed to grab my attention the most, it's just a feel good song.

It was fairly recently that I discovered this song but it has become one of those ones that I have on constant repeat. It was my friend who works in Hollister that introduced me to it as it's played on the playlist in Hollister and apparently judging by all the 'Hollister brought me here' comments on YouTube it has made an impact on a lot of other Hollister employees and customers too. 

I'm very excited that Pink is back and I love this song. I have been listening to her new album on Spotify today and discussing with my friend about buying tickets for her tour since they go on sale on Friday! I have seen her twice before and she is absolutely amazing live. From the first listen of the new album I can tell it's going to be a favourite.

Photos behind the blog name:

Current Wishlist and Recently Purchased

There are so many things that I have been wanting to buy lately....but unfortunately my purse strings are not really long enough! The phrase "too much month left at the end of the money" is pretty appropriate right now!  This is my first kind of 'wishlist' post, even though they are pretty much just 'exactly what I would buy if I had money' lists.


My current wishlist:

1. Topshop Leigh skinny jeans. I already have a pair of these in blue and I would love a black pair. I asked for so many opinions and tried on so many jeans to find the perfect skinny pair. I have a real issue with supposed skinny jeans that go baggy after a few wears but I have been so happy with these Leigh ones. They aren't actually jeans, just stretchy, tight fabric but that's exactly what I was looking for. They stay tight for days and days.

2. I would love to get a navy blazer, my black Zara blazer is very well worn and so I could do with a new one and I do wear a lot of navy. H&M have a few nice ones in the sale, like this one, although people have also told me to look in Primark for a cheap blazer.

3. I absolutely fell in love with this ASOS watch after I saw it on Milk Bubble Tea's blog a few weeks ago. I love cats and I have actually been searching on ebay for cat print tops and dresses. Unfortunately ASOS have sold out of this watch!

4. I suddenly decided lat week that i would like to invest in a pair of these white converse. I don't really have many shoes that are comfy enough to wear all day long and I wear my skinny jeans a lot so I though that a pair of converse would be a good investment.

5. I really love these shoes. I just stumbled across them on the H&M website and they are only £6.99 in the sale!!! I probably wouldn't have batted an eyelash at them if they were full price (although that was probably only about £20!) but the sale price caught my attention. I think they'd look great with jeans and t-shirt but they would also go pretty well with a floral dress I have...and I actually have a lack of shoes to wear with that dress!! Just as well my size is sold out as I very well might have been tempted to buy these!

6. These wooden scrabble tiles are from ebay for crafting. I am doing alot of craft stuff at the moment because me and my mum are having a stall at our village fete in August so I am trying to decorate wooden hearts, make little house signs from slates and make cards. My mum already bought some of these scrabble tiles and made a lovely wedding present for my cousin with them and I'd love to get some for my card-making.

7. I would love to get some more hooks for my bedroom wall. I have tonnes of necklaces that I never wear because they are away in a box. I need some nice jewellerry hooks and then I can get them all out and hang them up...and hopefully wear them more often.

8. I have been wanting to buy this Train album for ages. I am currently sitting listening to it on Grooveshark right now. I absolutely love it!



My Clarks Wishlist:

To some, this might seem pretty random (not the shop that most young people would head straight to when they need shoes!) but I work for Clarks. I saw a tweet a few weeks ago that basically said 'I went to Clarks today, I hope nobody saw me going in'!! I must add a comment that Clarks is getting more and more fashion forward......it is.......really!! I promise! I get pretty defensive when people make comments about Clarks now that I work there.

Well here are some of the things I am lusting after at work. It is so much easier to lust after new shoes and bags when you can get discount on them!

1. This bag is called 'Miss Fiona'!!! We don't even have it in at work yet but I saw it on the website and got rather excited that it has my name! It's not even very me-ish but I think if I like it when I see then I may have to purchase. 

2. I have never been a leopard print type of girl....ever, but I really love these pumps. They are on the cheaper side for Clarks prices and they would be great with jeans for the daytime or with a dress or shorts for a night out. I don't always like to go out in heels and often opt for flats to save sore feet so these would be a handy addition to my wardrobe.

3. I really really need new wellies. I have had the same ones for years and they now have holes in them that let water in (completely defeating their purpose). I don't really need wellies in Edinburgh but definitely for at home for walks in the countryside.

4. Clarks have just brought this bag back in the tan colour after having a variety of colours over the past few years. I already have the black version and it must be one of the best investments I have ever made. It was £69.99 when I bought it about a year ago and I have used it almost everyday since!! If I had the pennies then it would be tempting to get the tan one too!

5. I think when I get a new discount card pretty soon, I will definitely get some of these brogues. I have a pair of red brogues from Office and I have worn them to death and so I have been looking out for another pair. As much as I adore my red ones, I think the tan colour might be more practical for matching with my clothes.

Links if you would like: Miss Fiona handbag, Carousel Ride leopard print pumps, Yarn Dance wellies, Temple Beam handbag and Hamble Oak brogues.



My recent purchases:

1. I've been pretty good in the sales so far and this is all I have bought. It was £7 in H&M and I didn't have many casual dresses like it for the "summer" whenever it arrives!?! I have already worn it on a remotely sunny day with a navy cardigan. Pretty pleased with that purchase.

2. Yes, I did it.....I bought into the hype! I saw the book in Tesco for £3.86 and so added it to the basket since soooo many people have been talking about it. If people were raving about a book a year ago I never would have bought it, but I am trying to get back into reading so I'll give this one a go. I haven't started it yet but I have heard good things.

3. My other H&M purchase, labelled £4 and then only £2 when I got to the till....love when that happens!!

4. I had John Lewis vouchers for my birthday and I had been looking at this rug for a while. I had a new carpet fitted in my room in the flat last week so I went out and bought the rug to complete the new look. It makes my room a bit more 'homely' I think. I think I will blog some photos of my room in my flat soon.



Are any of you lusting after the same things as me? What have you been buying in the sales? Has anyone read '50 Shades of Grey'?

Lately

I feel like I am constantly apologising for being a crappy blogger! I said I was back in the blogging world, posted once and then I genuinely haven't had any time to blog since then! But I have managed to find some time tonight to write a wee post. I have been playing around with my blog design tonight as well, I am slowly but surely learning some new html techniques via Googling and YouTube-ing and I have some new social media button across there >>>>>> I'm still working on my blog header image! Hopefully I can master some more blog design techniques and I will be continuing to adapt by blog design.

Anyway, for just now I thought I would show you some things that I've been doing lately.

I've been watching: Revenge and Sex and the City.

I have been raving to everyone about Revenge....you should watch it!!! I decided to give it a try after I saw the preview and saw that Emily VanCamp was playing the lead. I am a huge fan of Brothers & Sisters which she is in so I decided to watch the first episode and from about 10 minutes in I was hooked, texting my mum and sisters telling them they needed to watch it! And right enough they did and they love it too. It has such a gripping storyline, with a slightly different story to each episode and really interesting characters. I wont say too much....just watch it!! I am completely hooked.

I have been watching so much Sex and the City at the moment too. I had been wanting the boxset for ages and ages and I finally ordered them as a little finishing uni present to myself the day before my last ever uni hand-in, knowing that I would have an awful lot of free time to watch them. I had genuinely only ever seen maybe two or three episodes before (and the two films) so I am working my way through the whole lot from the beginning. I am currently on season five of seven and I love it!

There are some very very wise words in Sex and the City. I really loved this bit (this was the only video I could find and has some foreign subtitles), Carrie comparing finding your soulmate to a game show!

I've been listening to: Marina and The Diamonds

I am a big fan of Marina and The Diamonds and so I had been listening to her new songs on YouTube (because I have no money to go about buying albums) but then...my sister bought her new album so I just made sure I popped that on my usb last time I was at home! Her second album is a slightly different style to her first album but not in a bad way at all! My sister also bought Paloma Faith's new album (I love her too!) but for some reason Marina's one is grabbing my attention more. So many catchy songs including Bubblegum Bitch, Starring Role, Teen Idol and this one; Homewrecker.

I have also been listening to Train's most recent album 'California 37'. I would never have said I was a huge fan of Train but then 'Drive By' came out and so I had a listen to the rest of the album on Spotify and I love it. I really need to buy it, I keep just listening to it on YouTube over and over. 

I've been reading: 'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran.

I am not a reader at all, but when this book first came out a lot of people were talking about it and all the reviews I had read were great. My flatmate got me it for Christmas and as I was very busy up until recently with uni work I only started reading this a few months ago. I really adore Caitlin Moran's style of writing, it is easy to read yet intellectually stimulating with a lot of funny bits. There are so many parts of the book that have made me go 'oh so I'm not the only one who does that!' There are also so many extremely interesting and thought provoking parts, from the light topic of having a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear to the more indepth topic of abortion.

I've been eating:

1. I've been trying to eat a bit healthier and so I've been eating a lot of cereal, yoghurt and dried fruit lately when I am hungry in an attempt to not snack on rubbish foods. This photo is of porridge with dried fruit and a smoothie I made with banana, blueberries and coconut milk.

2. As I said, I have been eating a lot of yoghurt and I absolutely LOVE these Onken ones. I have to stop myself from eating the whole tub at once. 

3. I made some carrot and lentil soup the other night to freeze in portions and then I ended up having one of them for lunch yesterday with some homemade croutons, it was the perfect lunch for such a rainy day.

4. This is my tea from yesterday, stuffed pepper. I am actually pretty proud of it...it was yummy! I stuffed the pepper with rice with chopped up veg and praprika and then put some mozarella on the top.

5. I am constantly seeing these Rekorderlig ciders appear on my instagram feed, so I bought this one in Lidl to see what the fuss was about. This was amazing, I need to look out for all the other fancy flavours.

6. Banana cakes that I made to take to my friends on Monday night. As I am trying to eat (remotely) healthy and seemed to make about 24 cakes, I took some of them to my friends house and then took the rest to work and left them in the tea room with a little note saying 'help yourself'. There was no way that I was eating all the rest of them myself!

I'M BACK!!!!!

Hiya, I'm back! I haven't blogged since last August when my life suddenly seemed to become too busy and stressful for me to have any time to blog. I really do admire all bloggers that I follow that manage to fit blogging in amongst so many other things in their lives, like uni. I just didn't feel that I could set time aside to blog whilst I was completeing my fourth year of uni. I have been itching for so long to get back to this blog. I love blogging and I can't wait to start posting regularly.

I have changed the name of my blog as you might have noticed if you were a regular follower back in the day! My previous blog name; 'Fiona Hunter' was always intended to be replaced and I finally came up with an appropriate replacement. So welcome to 'Country Girl - City Life'. This is the way I have began to describe myself on various website bio's since I moved from the countryside to Edinburgh last year. So this blog will now document my life as a country girl, living life in the city.

As part of a 30 day blog challenge that I did last year, I posted my 'Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days' on the 22nd of April last year. So I thought an update was in order, what did I achieve from my list of hopes, dreams and plans:

♥ Get a job/multiple jobs in Edinburgh. 

♥ Get enough money from those jobs to move to Edinburgh.

♥ Find a nice room in a flat to rent with nice friendly flatmates. 

♥ Decide on a good topic and title for my 4th year dissertation and start doing research and writing over the summer. 

♥ Start making lots of cards and crafty things to sell. - Just starting this now that uni is finished.

♥ Start reading books. - Just starting this now also.

 ♥ Visit Paris. - Hopefully one day.

 ♥ Go to another music festival. - Didn't go to a festival last summer and not going to one this summer either. Maybe next summer.

 ♥ Write an amazing dissertation. - Well I did write a dissertation, not going to say it was 'amazing', I did get a 2.1 though!! :)

 ♥ Stop worrying and getting stressed over the small things. - Still working on this one!

 ♥ Try to save money. - ...and this one!



So what can you expect from this blog if you are a newcomer? Basically, a documentation of my life, lots of fashion posts (my degree is in fashion!), lots of music posts and probably quite a few food, interiors and 'my life in pictures' type posts! 

And if you're not a newcomer...WELCOME BACK!