some happy things

this last week has been exhausting. not because i have been busy, rather, the opposite. since mum left over a week ago i have been.. winding down. in the days since she arrived in london, i have been as "on" as i can be; entertaining her, trying to think of places for her to go, hoping she's having a good time, isn't bored, isn't lost, is ok.. and now that she's gone, i'm sort of.. lost. haha! i have had an upset stomach and my chest palpatations apparently have come back, and i am tired all the time. 

i have also been sleeping a lot, which is a nice change, but the laying low has lead to not a lot of fun things to share with you this week. which.. is ok! i've had a busy weekend so will have lots to share over the next couple of weeks, but to be honest, i think i need a bit of a rest anyway. to recouperate. to get my autumn mojo back. so. i'll see you next week. until then, here are the best bits from this week:

neighbourhood watch | i spent last sunday walking around a new area of my neighbourhood. i live between sydenham and penge east, but i never wander through the latter in my spare time. so it was lovely to get a different perspective of the area that i've quickly adopted as *home*.

charity work | my name is erica and i am an addict for pink-coloured charity shop books. i picked up another four over the weekend in the shops near my house, and once again, my morning commute is instantly happier.

retail therapy | omg, buying things is the bessssst, isn't it? i have bought about seventy hundred pairs of new shoes while trying to replace my old faithful boots from last season, which i am now slowly returning to from whence they came when i realise that none of them are right. except these leopard print boots which are incredible, and these glitter trainers which are totally amazing. 

lunch | i had lunch with viki in the week, at wahaaaaaca - my absolute fave. we talked holidays, jobs, and planned to do it again. a lot. again soon. 

chicken shop | and that night, bex and i went to dinner at chick'n sours in haggerston. it's basically a glorified chicken shop, and sadly, wasn't to my particular taste. maybe because i wasn't really feeling well, maybe because the food was aaaall very, very oily. because it was all deep fried. my least favourite type of food. god, i am naive. why didn't i think a chicken restaurant would serve deep friend chicken?! regardless, it was great to see bex properly - first proper catch up since like... ages ago!

prized purse | it was even better because look at this amazing purse she gave me for my birthday. argh! i am in lovvvve with it. it's the most perfect thing i have ever owned. gaahhhhh!

i have this thing with doors | london. is a babe. how can this not make you happy?

you better werk | work lately has been.. really good. i have my finger in a lot of pies, and having some really good conversations with some very important people. i'm starting to really consider my next steps in the company, and where i see myself going, and i think i'm making baby steps to getting there. it's really motivating to be motivated again. it's nice to not have a job you hate.

toddler fashion | i am unashamedly proud of not dressing my age. being 32 and wearing a dress with unicorns on it despite social norms and office etiquette is liberating. i am comfortable in my personal style, and i like to think i pull it off. if i don't, that's too bad, because it's the only style i got. 

return policy | she's home. despite a minor hiccup in her final hours in paris, the mother duck has landed safe and sound in adelaide town. she's miserable about that, obviously, but i'm relieved to hear it all worked out after the stressful time she had before taking off. it was really, really nice to have my mum around for a few weeks - i guess i'm so used to being on my own that i don't really appreciate how cool it is to be able to chat to someone more adultier than you, and in the same time zone as you. well, she'll be back, i know that much. and until then, skype will do.

so, i hope you have a wonderful week, and i'll see you soon.