June Lust List

Another month, another lust list! Here are all the things I'm dreaming of in June...

Tripod

Now that I have a huge house, huge white bedroom and a summer stretching out in front of me, I'm determined to start putting more outfit posts up on this blog - might as well make use of all these clothes I'm buying right? Unless I can convince the boy to put up with my ludicrous poses (and I'm sure I'd feel a little too self conscious anyway), a tripod is the way forward and they're surprisingly cheap. 

Chevron Duvet from Tesco

Moving house has inspired me to inject some bolder and less fussy prints into my bedroom and this Chevron duvet is bang on trend and a steal from Tesco - just £9.50 for a double.

White Midi Skirt from Primark

Nothing says impracticality like a pure white skirt, but this Primark number would look ever so pretty on a summer holiday with wedge heels, vest and a simple 50s round neck cardi.

Pink Gingham Blouse from New Look

I'm not sure I've quite gotten over walking out on H&M's Pink Gingham top in Leeds Trinity the other week, but New Look's version comes pretty close and is about a fiver cheaper. 

Milkshake Tumblers from Habitat

Unfortunately my beloved cheapo ikea tumblers got broken in the move, so what better excuse than to replace them with pastel perfection in a glass? These Habitat ones comes in beautiful ice cream shades and look a darn sight fancier than my 50p ones.

Twisted Sista Curl Activator

Deciding to put down the straighteners and relaxers and work with my natural hair means a hell of a lot more product. This twisted sista curl activator seems to work really well to define my curls  and is only 99p in Home Bargains, but the bottles are so teeny I'm desperately seeking a bigger version.

Primark Pastel Beach Tote 

£4 I was itching to spend but just couldn't justify last time I was in Primark, my need for this tote has become entirely validated by my upcoming beach holiday (round 2) to Dorset. Plenty of space for my camera, sunglasses, and a weeks worth of reading material.

Matalan Canvas High Tops

My trusty black converse gave out a little while ago and I am still mourning their loss. I can't really justify £40+ on a pair of trainers at the moment but these £12 pink cuties from Matalan could plug the void for summer at least.

H&M Baby Blue Tote

October will hopefully bring with it a PhD and a lot more time spent lugging paperwork to University, so a bag big enough to cope with this and still look adult and stylish is firmly on the agenda. This lovely specimen is from H&M and is a little pricey at £40, but looks sturdy enough to justify the price tag.

Wireless Festival Ticket

Drake, Kanye and Outkast. Need I say any more? I think not.

Mollie Makes Blogging Special Edition

At the top of my 'to do' list this summer is to pay some more attention to my poor ailing blogs - more posts, better content and a slightly more regular approach are all on firmly on my agenda. The Mollie Makes Blogging special might be a tad pricey for a magazine at £10, but it looks like it'll contain lots of handy hints for injecting a little more fairy dust into my blogging approach.

Betty Magazine

Despite being a bona fide magazine addict and lusting over the flawless page design for months, I still haven't gotten my hands on my very own copy of Betty magazine yet. This month might be the one...

Notebooks from mochithings.com

The perfect size, shape and complete with customisable tags, these mochithings pads are perfect for people like me who insist on order for everything. I'll take five please...

What are you lusting over this month?

Pack It Up, Pack It In - The evolution of the backpack

Hello all! Just one last cheeky little festival themed post before I head off to Beacons for the weekend. I've spent the evening feverishly trying to cram my clothes, belongings and my tent, sleeping bag and camp accessories (all kindly provided  by The Lazy Camper, review to come soon!) into 'bag for life's and have now realised that I could do with about four more pairs of arms. This got me thinking: whatever happened to the humble rucksack/backpack? Neatly storing all your bits and bobs, leaving your arms free?

Growing up, the rucksack was the only practical option for me. I was one of those overachieving Hermione Granger sorts in school - I liked to have all my books on me at once, so a flimsy tote or the handbags that all the cool girls seemed to take to school simply wasn't in question. Oh no. Jenessa has always been a very practical girl. In fact, the evolution of my school career can probably be tracked via the following backpacks.

First off was the bubble pack. A 90's classic, mine was metallic gold and looking back, frankly hideous. I remember the strap breaking and resolutely tying it in a makeshift bow in an attempt to lengthen it's life, but alas, a puncture in the plastic sent that one to the graveyard. 

Next up was a lime green Donnay. About the same length of my entire torso at the time, it matched my Gameboy colour perfectly and stood out on the year 5 coatpegs at the end of a busy school day. Is Donnay even a brand anymore? I hope not.

The Donnay was succeeded by a Hello Kitty rucksack that I kind of wish I still had now, Precured on a holiday to America, it was bloody massive, lasting me through year 6 all the way up to Year 7, the year where supermassive backpacks seem to be an absolute prerequisite. What with Hello Kitty having made somewhat of a resurgence, I think I could probably make good use of it now.

The last backpack I can remember came during my emo phase of '07/'08, where skate brands were law and everyone ran bebo accounts with My Chemical Romance background and with 'super random' in their 'About Me' section. This Dickies number with multi-coloured stars still lives on now, although the strap is frayed to hell and it appears to have been inherited by my boyfriend who likes to take it to gigs to carry his camera.

Which brings me nicely up to now. Now, I know these slouchy brown boho leather ones are back in fashion, but they just never look that BIG to me. Like really, what can you actually fit in there? If it doesn't accommodate at least an A4 notebook or folder, a lunchbox and a jumper or cardi then I'm just not that game. All through sixth form and since starting uni, I have always ended up toting round my stuff day to day in a satchel, far from ideal when you realise it's heaviness is making you walk lopsided and the strap is straining for freedom.

It's a bit late for me to order one in time for Beacons, but I shall definitely be contemplating a nice pretty backpack for uni in September. I think it's about time their connotations of nerdy cyclists or overloaded schoolkids became a thing of the past. Here are some of my favourites from around the web (well, mostly Asos). 

1)Roxy via Asos, £14.00
2)Mi Pac via Asos, £20.00
3)Asos, £20.00
4)Cath Kidston, £42.00
5)Mi Pac via Asos, £20.00
6)River Island via Asos, £20.00
7)Asos, £32.00
8)Kanken, £50