a night of fan-girling, mechanical bulls, & kate freaking nash

Before reading this, if you haven't heard Kate Nash before, you should go listen to her. Or if that's not really your cup of tea, try this song. Also before reading this, be aware that it's going to be quite long. I don't feel like I'd be doing the night justice if I skimped on details.

Years ago I was really into Regina Spektor (still love her, just not the way I used to), and one day a Kate Nash song came on my Regina Spektor Pandora radio station. It was so quirky and fun. Over the next few years I came to really love her music and as I found out more about her as a person, I came to love what she stands for.

My friend Jenny and I went to see Kate at The Pyramid Scheme last year on St. Patrick's Day. It was my first time seeing her live. We were front and center and everything was perfect. We ended up making friends with one of the sound check guys, Kris. He was on tour with Kate and her band. After the show ended, we sat with him for an hour or two and chatted. Jenny and him kept in touch over the following year.

A couple months ago, we found out Kate was coming back to Michigan; this time in Kalamazoo. So of course we decided we had to go. Next thing I knew Jenny was telling me Kris put us on the guest list and that we didn't need to buy tickets. I was actually in disbelief for a few days. As the end of July approached, we solidified our plans for the night, which included adding our other friend Jamie to the guest list. 

After what felt like years of waiting, July 30th finally rolled around. Jamie, Jenny, and I headed to Kalamazoo. We got there early so we stopped at a Coney for hot dogs. Then we went to wait in line for the doors to open. When we got to the front, we gave our name and were let in. The venue wasn't what I expected at all; it was outdoors and had tables and fire pits and was fairly cute. We picked a table and sat there while we watched the opening band and waited for Kate... Also would like to throw out there that she tweeted me not too long before they went on stage. I had posted a picture and tweeted her and she responded with a bunch of emojis. My inner fan-girl was hard to contain.

england : day five

Okay guys, lots of pictures with this one... On Saturday we camped! I'm always the last one ready for things so I got up extra early since we were getting picked up... but then the one time I was ready early, our ride was late! Six of us went: Tom, myself, Gez, Afzol, Jess, and Sarah.

The place we were camping at was a little place in Scotland called Knockbrex. Well, maybe it's not that little, I'm not sure. It just seemed like tons of countryside and farms to me. It was gorgeous though! Oh, also, there was a tiny castle close to our campsite. It's called Knockbrex Castle and it is absolutely adorable. I found through their website that they rent it out. Definitely plan to do that one day.

Cute, right?? Check out the link I embedded above for more pictures.

Obviously we needed lots of stuff... This was about 1/3 of what we had. Better safe than sorry, right??

It was a little bit of a struggle putting up that massive tent. Strong winds didn't help.

 It really was a perfect spot for the sunset.

I wish these photos were better quality. I got scared about bringing my Nikon so these are all iPhone pictures!

Basically all we did all day was eat and drink and eat some more. I taught them how to make s'mores and I'm pretty sure they fell in love. Also, I discovered haloumi, a Greek cheese, and now sometimes that's all I can think about it. Someone please let me know if you can find it in America!!

I'll put more photos from camping in the day six post. Enjoy!

-teddy x

england : day four

Things were pretty low-key on Friday, partially because we were leaving early Saturday to go camping and partially because of slightly excessive amounts of vodka the night before.

After fish n' chips for lunch (Chip Shop Friday!!!... Seriously one of the highlights of my trips) we did a little walking around town. I wanted to check out a few shops, Topshop being one of them as the closest one to me at home is Chicago, I think.

The city of Carlisle intrigues me. I feel myself falling more in love with it with each visit I make.

Ohh, I also bought an Arsenal t-shirt from JD Sports seeing as I'm a newly decided Arsenal supporter.

Before my trip, Tom and I were planning things to do while I was going to be there. Originally we were thinking camping for Friday, but then I realized that I was only going to be there for one. Once I figured that out, I told Tom we definitely had to reschedule camping. Friday evenings we go to the pub!!

I've gone to the pub with Tom and his parents every Friday, every trip. I love all the people there and I meet new ones each time. I would say the main people I go to see are Derek and his wife, Linda, and Kenny and his wife, Jean. They're all such lovely people and they always seem so happy to see me. It makes me smile! This time, Derek and Linda were ecstatic when Tom told them that I said we had to reschedule camping so that we didn't miss them at the pub.

Everyone's favorite question when I come in seems to be "when are you two getting married?" and it's so funny because they always ask me and I always tell them they're asking the wrong person!

We headed home fairly early that night to pack for camping, order take-out, and watch Breaking Bad.

I can't wait to see them all again next time! :)

-teddy x

england : day three

Time really went entirely too fast on this trip. It normally seems to go quickly, but I definitely think this one went by quicker than any of the previous three. Wish I'd been able to stay longer. :(

On Thursdays, Tom goes to visit an elderly man named Les. It's part of some community involvement thing he does (sweet, isn't he?). Les's wife passed away within the last couple years so he's on his own most of the time. Tom just goes to his house once a week to keep him company for a few hours. This Thursday, I got to go with him. Les was really kind. He made us tea and biscuits and we watched a Daniel O'Donnell (an Irish singer with brilliant dance moves) VHS from the '90s. It was a good afternoon!

These pictures were from the walk to his house:

Everything in England is so much cuter than America. I love it.

Later that night, we headed over to Martyn and Jimmy's house for the England v. Uruguay World Cup match. There were a few of us: Martyn, Jimmy, Tom, Niall, Daniel, Nathan, Doodles, and myself. Unfortunately, England lost 2-1 but on the bright side we had plenty  of vodka to help us forget! I must say I had no idea Brits get as loud and rowdy as Americans when it comes to sports. Also, if you're a huge football fan, please forgive me; Tom says I sound too American and that I need to work on my terminology... I'm trying!!

Nathan and Tom when Rooney equalized in the 75th minute.

Nathan and Martyn!

Martyn and I :) Great lad (how English do I sound!? haha)

So, in the end, even though England lost, I think it's safe to say we all had a pretty good night. And also I have to say that the more I understand football, the more I enjoy it. One of the only sports I can actually sit and watch!

-teddy x

england : day two

Wednesday morning I felt refreshed after getting a good night's sleep to catch up from the overnight flight. Tom unfortunately had to attend the funeral of a fellow councillor, so I unpacked while he was away.

When he returned, him, his mum, and I took a trip to The Animal Refuge. We wanted to check out a super grumpy looking cat ("beautiful", as Tom called it...) that was up for adoption. Sadly, Bagpuss didn't get on with other cats (or children) and had been sent back to The Animal Refuge three times previously. Since Tom has three other cats, they didn't want to allow Bagpuss to go home with him.

There were loads of other animals to see, including horses, goats, dogs, and cats. It was really a nice place and much bigger than I expected it to be. They also had a little gift shop where I bought a quaint little tea pot (I'm obsessed with tea pots) and an England pint glass.

After leaving the refuge, we headed back to Tom's to get cleaned up because that evening we were meant to be having dinner with the mayor... Yes, the mayor. The actual real live mayor of Carlisle. 

I must say it was one of the more nerve-wracking things I've done, but it turned out to be a really nice night. I wish I had pictures; their house was seriously lovely! I ended up deciding against whipping out my iPhone to document things...

In attendance were the mayor (Steven) and his wife (Christine), Tom's parents, and the two of us. When we got there, we sat in the garden (which was so cute and cozy) for an hour or so, drinking wine and chatting, before going in to eat. Everything was so relaxed and Steven and Christine were so welcoming and friendly. It was really nice getting to know them a little bit.

The dinner they had prepared for us was perfect. We started off with fruit bowls and bread. Next came salad, potatoes, and Ullswater Pie. I was a little apprehensive of the pie to begin, as I'd never heard of it before, but it turned out to be soo tasty. I wonder if there's anywhere around here that makes it... highly doubt it.

Pudding (dessert) was an apple crumble and vanilla ice cream, washed down with coffee.

By then it was getting late, so we called a taxi and got ready to go. Whilst waiting for our ride, Steven gave me a tour of his basement. Now, if you're from Michigan, you're probably wondering why in the world  we'd want to see his basement. However, this was much different from your typical "Michigan basement".

He informed me that servants had lived in the house until the 1950s, and the basement had actually been their living quarters. I got to see where they slept, cooked meals, and did laundry. It was fascinating.

At the end of the mini tour, we walked out of a door that took us into their garage, where Steven showed me his gorgeous, shiny, bright red 1960 MG. I can't pretend to know much about cars, but I will say that this one was a true beauty. He was very proud of it, and I don't blame him!

By that time, the taxi was waiting out front. Tom, his parents, and I got in to head back home.

All in all, it was an exceptional evening.

-teddy x

england : day one

As you may have read in earlier posts, my plan was to write a post per day on my trip across the pond... Obviously, that failed. So, now that I'm (unfortunately) home, I'll catch up. I'm going to backdate these posts to the days they're about so as to make myself feel better about not having actually done it on time. To be honest though, it's not that I slacked off, we just were too busy enjoying ourselves and doing things for me to sit down and blog.

Before I really get into the day, I'd like to share a piece from an article I read on the plane giving the low-down on all the teams in The 2014 World Cup. The whole article was brilliantly written (wish I could give credit but I've no idea what the magazine was or who the author was), but I'll just share my favorite bit. If you don't follow football (proper football, not American-- I'm not allowed to call it soccer when I'm dating a Brit), then you may not know who Mario is, but trust me, he's great entertainment.

______________________________________________________________________

I flew into Manchester at about 6:30am local time (1:30am Michigan time).

Met my lovely boyfriend after grabbing my bags (which were for once not over the weight limit!!!) and off we went to take a hike through The Lake District. He took me to a place called Ullswater where we hiked around for a couple hours and saw the gorgeous Aira Force waterfall.

After our hike around there, we decided to head back to Carlisle (where Tom lives) to drop off my luggage and get some lunch. Later on, Tom had to go to a council meeting (did I mention he's a city councillor???) so I decided to take a nap before going uptown to meet him and have a drink with him and his parents. Here's the rest of the night in photos:

Hell Below. Been here a few times now. Their menus are perfect.

 Mojitos and Lady Killers (whatever those are, there's a 2 per person limit).

Paddles of shots because why not?

My handsome man.

 1.5 liters of butter beer.... because why not?

Best friends.

I'll continue with trip details tomorrow. Thanks for checking it out!

-teddy x

top 25 summer songs

Honestly guys, this was hard. 

It started out as a top 10, then turned to a top 20, and ended at top 25.

And I was tempted to make it longer.

So, here it is:

My top 25 favorite summer songs (in no particular order).

Per usual, this list is based upon my current thoughts.

Tomorrow, it would probably be different.

(CLICK ON SONG TITLES TO HEAR THE SONG)

1.  Paloma Faith - New York

2.  Crystal Fighters - You & I

3.  Bon Iver - Wash - St. South Remix

4.  Gil Scott-Heron - Me And The Devil

5. Haim - Go Slow

6.  Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come

7.  Florence + The Machine - Cosmic Love

8.  Bahamas - Already Yours

9.  Lauren Mvula - Green Garden

10.  Emma Louise - Jungle

11.   POLIÇA, Mike Noyce - Lay Your Cards Out

12.  Of Monsters And Men - Lakehouse

13.  Jónsi - Go Do

14.  Billie The Vision & The Dancers - Summercat

15.  Nneka - J

16.  Ellie Goulding - Tessellate

17.  Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks

18.  She & Him - Baby

19.  Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

20.  Kate Nash - Sister

21.   Belle & Sebastian - Piazza, New York Catcher

22.  OutKast - ATLiens

23.  Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive

24.  Warren G., Nate Dogg - Regulate

25.  M.I.A., Afrikan Boy - Hussel 

Hope you love them all as much as me!

-teddy x

 

I won!

Hello everyone! So, something very exciting has happened to me since I last posted. If any of you know me well, you'll probably know that I'm slightly obsessed with the British singer Kate Nash. In fact, I've posted about her and how amazing I think she is before. Fan girl status. No shame!

Anyhow, she posted to her social networks on Valentine's Day that she was putting on a contest. She wanted her fans to send in an email, poem, story, etcetera, about who their valentine was this year. She would go through them and pick her top 5 favorites. The winners would get a signed photo from her. Since my boyfriend and I have a pretty good story, I decided to send in an entry.

A few days after I sent in my email, I got a reply saying she loved mine and that I was chosen as one of the winners! It was so exciting I had trouble breathing for a few moments!!

I've had a couple requests to see what I entered so I figured I'd post it on the blog.

Here is what I sent in (WARNING: it's really cheesy):

Hi Kate, so this year my valentine is something like 3,700 miles away. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and he lives in Carlisle, England. We started out over 2 years ago as snail mail pen pals. Ten months after communicating only via mail and internet, I flew across the Atlantic to meet him... BEST DECISION EVER. He's absolutely amazing and worth every mile. He's coming to visit me in 29 days and I can't fricking wait. I'm hoping one day soon we'll get to permanently close the gap.

Anyways, after my last visit (in November 2013), I wrote this poem with him in mind. It's based off a photo I took standing outside his front door before a walk into town one day. 

41 Dalston Road

autumn leaves beneath my feet;

heavy, damp air

sticks to my skin,

exposed.

clouds

close to earth --

not oppressive --

embrace tree tops.

branches droop.

my lungs expand

and I breathe in 

his scent,

lingering.

Thank you so much for being such an amazing person/artist and for taking the time to read this! Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day. :) x

-Tess

So that's the entry that got me into the top 5! I'm still kind of in disbelief that she chose mine. Super happy about it. I guess Tom and I really do have a great story though!

-teddy x

30,000 feet and above

Since meeting my boyfriend back in 2012, I've been lucky enough to get to travel to the UK three times to see him. Before that, it had been about five or six years since I'd been on an airplane and I'd never been out of the country (except to Canada which doesn't really count because it's so close and to a border city in Mexico for maybe two hours). I've grown to love being up in the air and I wish I could just go travel for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe one day...

Here are my favorite photos taken from airplane windows over the past couple years. I tried to narrow them down but honestly, I couldn't. Each one makes me think of a different moment in time and each one makes me happy. :)

June/July 2012

March 2013

November 2013

"We must take adventures to know where we truly belong."

-teddy x