To kick off my Christmassy crafts me and my friend Louise went to a Christmas handwriting workshop at the North Star Coffee Shop in Leeds. The class was taught by Phylecia Sutherland (check out her website here) and we learnt faux calligraphy and brush lettering (which I was dying to learn) and had lovely baked treats from Noisette Bakehouse. We decorated baubles and gift tags (see below) which was great as they are things we can actually use! 

I found the faux calligraphy hard to keep consistent, so it ended up looking a bit like a 5 year old had done it, but I found the brush lettering much easier, so I will definitely be doing this more in future! 

The coffee shop was gorgeous and the table settings for the event were gorgeous and such lifestyle goals! 

I would really recommend anyone that wants to try a new craft to do a class like this - it's great as no one is a professional so you don't need to worry about it looking amateurish. It's also a lovely cosy night out (and very Christmassy around this time of year!). 

As this year me and Jonny have bought a house, buying our first Christmas tree for the living room was mega important to me. We wanted to source one locally, preferably from a local family business. We stumbled across a lovely little garden centre not that far away from home, and I had been driving past it every day on my way to work! The wreaths were amazing, I got the one above and my mum got the big one further down this post, I could have decked out my entire house with them! 

We ended up getting a 6 foot tree for a really reasonable price. The garden centre was lovely and can be found just outside Leek on the Ashbourne road. I will be posting pics of my Christmassy house now I have finally decorated (both finishing painting the living room and decorating for the festive season!).. stay tuned! 

Where we visited: DDR Museum 

This has to be one of my favourite museums EVER. I first went when I was interrailing in 2011, and I couldn't wait to go back!! There is loads of information on the GDR, which I am now writing (or meant to be writing) my dissertation about so it was really amazing to see some extra information about it! It is a super hands-on type of museum where you can drive an East German car (see below) and go into bedrooms and offices of leading GDR functionaries, Stasi operatives and even into an allotment! I would highly recommend this if you are going to Berlin, as it is a great museum even for people who aren't that into history because there is loads of really interesting info up for grabs & something for everyone! It was also seventies-tastic so anyone that is into clothes or music would find something to look at! 

You can find the DDR museum here: Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1 10178 Berlin

Where we ate: Fam Dang 

Fam Dang was an amazing Vietnamese restaurant just across the road from our hotel and it was recommended to us by the hotel themselves as a good place for Vietnamese food (we found out that Berlin has a large Vietnamese culture!). We tried some summer rolls and a kind of Vietnamese pizza to start, and I had the duck for my main and a gorgeous gin cocktail! (I have been trying to get into gin for this summer) I would highly recommend it, especially on a hot summer's day. 

You can find Fam Dang here: Torstraße 125 10119 Berlin

Hey everyone, I've just come back from 3 days in Berlin, where my sister and I celebrated her 21st birthday and also history geeked out on loads of museums that Berlin has to offer. We spent 3 full days in Berlin, which means 3 BRUNCHES! Here are the three brunches we had, all of which I would highly recommend. 

Brunch 3 was on our last day in Berlin and we knew we were going to have to get a taxi to the airport soon after we had eaten so we wanted somewhere close to the hotel. We had originally planned to go somewhere else, which had been recommended to us but when I googled it the night before it didn't open until 11 am which was far too late for us getting our flight! Luckily the hotel stepped in and a short google later I realised there was a café below our hotel called Commonground. This turned out to be amazing and I can't believe we didn't discover it until the last day! Guests of the Circus Hotel (where we stayed) got a breakfast package for 12 Euros, which included the meal and 2 drinks. I had apple juice, fresh mint tea (which was amazing!) and the avocado on toast with beetroot chutney and hummus. It was really tasty and I even got another mint tea on the house. There is also an outdoor bit (it was raining for us though) and at night it is a cocktail bar. 

You can find Commonground online here and the café here: Rosenthaler Straße 1 10119 Berlin

Hey everyone, so a couple of months ago Sunday Riley sent me these two products, the Martian Mattifying toner (£48) and the UFO face oil (68). I was really excited to get these as I had read loads about them being good for acne and oily skin and they are mega expensive. I have been using them for about a month now and I have found that my acne has changed. I would say I get a lot more whiteheads rather than massive red angry acne spots, which means it's probably more hormonal now and just on the surface rather then the really painful ones underneath. I've also been really stressed about my essays recently so that can't have helped. 

I have found that the toner is best used in the morning under my make up and the oil is best used in the evening after I have cleansed (sometimes after a sheet mask) so that it has all night to work. Things always take time to work but so far I am really impressed with the Sunday Riley collection and I will be buying the oil especially myself after this one runs out. Have you ever tried either of these?

Claudia 

Me at Paul McCartney's childhood home on the 6th of May '17.

2) Describe yourself in three words

Capable, sociable, easily-motivated 

also I talk a lot as you will see below

3) How long have you been blogging and what made you start?

I have been blogging for less than a year but when I was younger I tried my hand at blogging but I didn't have the skills to make it look good so I ended up giving up and closing the blog. Now I'm a lot older I decided I wanted a real creative outlet to put my photos and ideas on so this blog was born! 

4) What was the inspiration behind your blog name?

I actually have no idea! When I was younger I wasn't a big fan of putting my surname in my usernames for things, so I started off with the username claudialovescats for skype and it ended up being my go-to username. When I made my instagram that was what I decided to call it so when I made my blog it seemed only natural to call it the same thing as my instagram. 

5) What is the best thing to come from your blog so far?

Things like being able to attend BlogOn conference? I also really like looking through my blog when I'm having a down day as I love looking back on all the adventures I have had! 

6) Your most remembered thing from your childhood

Always my pets, my dog Bunty, my hamster, my rabbit, our cats, my gerbils, the way their fur felt, the things they did and how much I loved them. I actually have a really good memory not to blow my own trumpet toot toot.

7) Something interesting you might not know about me is...

As well as living in Paris I also used to live in Russia. I lived there between the ages of 12 and 15 and went to international school where I made some of the best friends I've ever had. I had Russian lessons (people always ask me about that) so I have a very basic grasp of Russian. To be honest, it was such a life-changing experience in the most positive way. It has made me who I am I feel from the people I met and the things I got to do while I was there. I got interested in politics and history and look at me now - a Politics with French grad and a History MA student! It was hard being away from familiarity but it's made me really appreciate things I have and me, my mum and my sister formed a really strong bond there. I am actually tempted to do a post about living in Russia, would anyone be interested?

8) What social media platform best describes your personality and why?

I would love to say instagram, because it is so nice and there is something for everyone on there, but I think it's more likely to be Twitter - there's lots of stuff going on and you can jump from one thing to the next really quickly! 

9) What is your happy song?

I have lots and lots, I actually tend to stray away from sad songs as I prefer songs to be uplifting. I love Back Down South by Kings of Leon though, I think that is my favourite song. I love folk music and anything about summer. And Christmas songs but I can't mention those at this time of year. 

10) What is your favourite alcoholic drink?

Definitely cider, I love it! 

11) What is your favourite cake?

Anything with raspberries in that my mum has made! I loveeee raspberry flavour things.

12) What is your favourite takeaway dish?

Definitely something from the Chinese - chicken satay skewers? I think I would have them for my last meal on death row. I don't plan on being on death row though. 

13) Where is your dream holiday destination and why?

I would love to go to Mumbai again, but my dream holiday destination is definitely the Canadian Rocky mountains. And to see the northern lights.

14) What would your superhero name be?

I am really not into superheros at all! I think I would be some sort of cat rescuer?

15) If you had a magical power, what would you want to have and why?

I would love to be able to teleport. Like, so much, for amazing reasons like I could go to a hot beach or on a city break whenever I wanted, but also for more adulty reasons like I could have a lie in and still get everywhere on time.  

16) What one weapon would help you survive a zombie apocalypse?

Lots and lots of food. When I've had food I can take on anything! Also my French Bulldog Coco because she would bark if any zombies sneaked up on me.

17) If you could send something into space, what would it be?

I wouldn't send anything into space! I have read some awful stuff about the amount of junk that humans have sent up there. I would just admire it from a far and let it be.

18) What would you have on your gravestone?

A death date of a long while away I hope!

19) You make headline news around the world in 2 years time... but for what reason?

Claudia has become Prime Minister? Secret ambitions there. Honestly I don't know but I would hope it was something positive, eek.  

20) If an EMP wiped out all mechanical forms of transport, how would you get to BlogOn?

I think I would walk. There is a lot of lovely countryside between me and BlogOn and it would definitely be a real conversation starter when I finally got there!

Let me know if you are going to the BlogOn conference as well! 

Next we went to the Beatles's childhood homes, Paul McCartney's childhood house and Mendips, which is John Lennon's childhood home. I honestly cannot recommend this enough. It was a truly amazing experience and I'm not a gushy person AT ALL. It was interesting, insightful and actually really touching. The houses look perfect, and you can sit on the couches and look in everything - including the bathrooms and bedrooms. The only downside is no photos (as a photo addict) but we decided as the day went on that not being able to take photos was actually a blessing because it meant that everyone else wasn't taking photos and best of all the whole experience felt really special. It actually really encouraged me to live in the moment. There are loads of really lovely stories from in there that I could tell you but I think it would spoil it if you decided to go there. It was so so amazing it was an experience that has really stayed with me. Here are some photos of the outside below: the top is PC's childhood home and the bottom is JL's.