it's all in the little things.

Life is made up of a series of little details, and recently I seem to be finding myself fascinated with them - things like the way people hold their hands, an unfastened button, a note left on a plate saying "help yourself!", or the barista who draws a face in your coffee even though you've asked for a lid.

I've been trying to document things that I'd normally overlook lately, so I've got some photos for you (as if you needed any more demonstration that I am really not a fashion blogger!) 

Sunday in the park

I went to London this weekend to see my terrible awful horrible boyfriend (who, as you may be able to guess from the sudden change in tone when talking about him, actually reads this blog. Hi, George.), so I have some photos to show you after a reasonably long absence (sorry! I am a terrible blogger, etc., etc).

I left my house at 7am in the freezing cold after about two hours sleep, so when I got in to Victoria our first stop had to be a (less than) mediocre coffee from starbucks and some "breakfast" (a packet of pepperoni flavour crisps. please don't judge me, I make terrible decisions when I'm sleep deprived):

fortunately, I started feeling a lot better after that, and we spent the rest of the day in greenwich park with george scampering around like a little woolen puppy, climbing trees and running down hills while I refused to move. 

I was, unsurprisingly, not too pleased about having to go home. Counting down the days 'til I see him next week!

see you 'round, lovelies
- dani x

a wishlist

hello!

so I've spent the best part of today staring longingly at clothes, and I've compiled a wishlist, in image form. I had convinced myself before I started that this post would say "if I was making a serious wishlist, of things I really, honestly wanted to buy, it would only be about two of these things", but, alas - I want everything. I really, really want everything.

(I can't afford anything. Maybe the nail varnish? the hair bows? oh but I want the wedges and the ghost jumper and the velvet skirt and- and-)

but, I am a charitable soul, so I'll provide you with links to all of these lovely things so you can buy them, show me, and make me weep with jealousy. have fun!
(from top left to bottom right, reading l - r)
Black flocked dress - motel, £58, http://www.motelrocks.com/shop/products/Motel-Cillia-Skater-Dress-in-Black-Flocked-Baroque.html
Green velvet skater skirt - oasap, £31.20, http://www.oasap.com/skirts/17480-retro-velvet-pleated-skirt.html
Dark green wedge boots - debenhams, £45, http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_052010758035_-1
11:50AM watch - may 28th, $39, http://www.may28th.me/1150am
Fox dress - modcloth, $84.99, http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/up-and-cunning-dress
Polka dot snood - topshop, £18, http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=6446334&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208552&parent_categoryId=204484&pageSize=200
Ghost jumper - topshop, £69.99, http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=6590630&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=ghost&pageSize=20
Gradient print tights - oasap, £12.35, http://www.oasap.com/tights-socks/17111-shiny-star-gradient-print-tights.html
Coat - miss selfridge, £75, http://www.missselfridge.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33055&storeId=12554&productId=5543896&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208077&parent_categoryId=208035&pageSize=40
Moustache and bowtie shirt - new look, £34.99 http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/tops/yumi-black-moustache-bowtie-semi-sheer-blouse_258770401
Dr Martens Triumph boots - schuh, £145, http://www.schuh.co.uk/womens-black-dr-martens-triumph-1914/1407187020
Chocolate Brown nail varnish - Barry M, £2.75, http://www.nailpolishdirect.co.uk/Barry_M_Nail_Paint_Chocolate_Brown_p/bm_chocbrown129.htm
Scoop Back Maxi Dress - Anthropologie, £128, http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/block-colour/scoopback-maxi-dress/invt/7130600103145/&colour=Brown
Hair Bows - New Look, £3.50, http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/3-pack-material-bow-hair-slides_264214750
Alpine Mens Jumper - River Island, £38, http://www.riverisland.com/men/knitwear/jumpers/Navy-Alpine-lodge-snowflakes-print-jumper-264940
Dog Print Shirt - River Island, £25, http://www.riverisland.com/women/blouses--shirts/shirts/cream-print-sleeveless-shirt-625527
Lana Skinny Jeans - River Island, £30, http://www.riverisland.com/women/jeans/skinny-jeans/light-denim-Lana-high-waisted-jeans--621150
Brown Satchel - eBay, auction, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brown-Tan-Camel-Leather-Vintage-Style-Satchel-Bag-/150910571227?pt=UK_Women_s_Handbags&hash=item2322f892db#ht_500wt_1288
Leaf Belt - modcloth, $15.99, http://www.modcloth.com/shop/belts/can-t-leaf-it-be-belt
Burgundy Skater Skirt - river island, £16, http://www.riverisland.com/women/skirts/skater-skirts/dark-red-ponti-skater-skirt--624681
Dark Red Cable Knit Cardigan - new look, £19.99, http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/knitwear/v-london-dark-red-cable-knit-cardigan_267962761

remember that discount codes are easy to find for these places, and student discounts exist for lots of them, too; and happy shopping!

- Dani x

Cardiff freshers week 2012 (a long post)

sunrise from a megabus window, fingerprints included

hello lovelies!
my third (and final) freshers week has just coming to an end, which feels like a bittersweet milestone in my university career. freshers week is one of the highlights of the university student's calendar - it's all about drinking, takeaway food, getting into the rhythm of uni life and being ridiculously irresponsible with money, and in second and third year, it's one of the best weeks there is. I'm definitely going to miss it!

my first freshers week, back in 2010, was probably not the best start to university anyone could ask for. it was mostly homesickness, trying to navigate unfamiliar situations with people I didn't know or trust yet, and I think by about day three I was feeling lost and lonely, and hiding out in the flat of a friend from home. second year made up for what first year lacked, in terms of the essential student experience - we bought a £3 reusable barbecue, we carried sofas outside under the stars and listened to loud music, and dragged them back in hastily when it started to rain, we talked to (and maybe kissed) strangers, we drank and wore stupid clothes and stole club posters and road signs, and someone jumped in a fountain at 2am, holding a blackberry and a cheeseburger.

this year, though, we've (mostly) put all that behind us, and had a slightly quieter experience. I started off the week in Enfield, with my lovely boyfriend george - on Sunday we trekked into London proper to meet up with george's sister, alice, and wandered through columbia road flower market and lots of charming independent shops and markets, as well as sharing profiteroles, and buying japanese sweets (whale: biggesy mammal).

"george please don't take photos of my face it's - i got two hours sleep and I've just gotten off a coach- ugh, fine I hate you."

obviously.

I got home on monday and ate some homemade cookies (minus the nuts!) with the housemates, and then on tuesday the girls and I went shopping (the results of which might pop up here sometime!) before going to tiger tiger's back to school party. we all got dressed up in white shirts, ties, drawn-on freckles and free glasses, but we pretty quickly decided we were better off at home playing board games and eating chicken.

we have literally no idea who this guy is, but he seems to have made the same misguided hair choices I did in 2008. 

heck yes.

we decided to take a more adult approach to an evening out on wednesday - we went for cocktails and tapas at pica pica, where will works (we get a 50% discount, and all the food is amazing and reasonably priced anyway, so I was pretty much in heaven). I totally recommend the saganaki, spinach and feta parcels, sweet potato wedges, and moroccan chicken, and I'm definitely going to try to make some of this stuff at home when our oven gets fixed! thursday night was back to the proper student lifestyle, though - drinking games and dresses and people being pushed through cardiff city centre in a supermarket trolley.

the correct way to eat stir fry (note the voter registration form under there; hoo boy was ordering a new one of those an awkward phonecall ("yeah, there's.. there's stir fry all over it. no, I'm not kidding.")

orange slices, because we are classy.

dress & heels (black version here)

this is the best mug. the best.

classy cards. 

the sweetest dirty third-pint you ever did see (that is a bonbon)

I tried to take an outfit photo. I think it's possible that there was too much alcohol involved.

we decided to wind the week down after all of that craziness, and the weekend was just an exercise in delicious food - we got a lot of takeaway pizza on friday, and I rounded out the week on saturday by going home for some Indian food with my parents.

we ordered four large pizzas. we got five. no-one complained.

looking at this is making me really hungry and it is not fair.

that's all over now, though, and it's back to the grind (ha!) of regular student life. Have any of you just experienced freshers week, whether first or as a seasoned student? what have you been up to?

- Dani x

(look) back to school.

The freedom of freshers week is over (and I'll be making a post about that later!), and today was, for me at least, the first day back in lectures. I always find myself wanting to dress up for lectures - I don't really know anyone, and I figure if people are going to know of me as anything I'd rather it be 'that girl who is always well dressed' than 'that girl who doesn't know anyone'!

someone you don't want to be (on lookbook)

today I just went for a very alliterative casual, comfy and cosy outfit - a big slouchy cardigan and scarf, some black tights, and a nice skirt and top combo. I actually picked up this top in 2006, when I was 14 and tiny enough for it to work as a dress! It's been hiding in the attic for a few years, and I stumbled across it a few weeks ago and thought 'no, there is definitely something I can do with this!'

the cardigan is a large men's cardigan that makes me feel safe and snuggly, and I picked it up in the best organised charity shop I've ever seen - Cancer Research UK's Monmouth branch - for £4.50! I will admit that I told my mum I stole it from my boyfriend when she questioned me about it, though! The shoes are the warmest, most gorgeous wedges I've ever seen, and they were less than £30 from new look; I think I've worn them every night I've been out since I bought them! I can't normally walk in heels, but wedges are pretty easy to get the hang of, and I'm a bit of an addict.

I also took some photos of my gorgeous friend Cat, which you can check out on her blog! Here's a teaser of those:

that's all I've got for you today, lovelies! Are any of you going back to school this week? What sort of styles are you wearing for lectures?

ps - I'm looking for more blogs to follow, so please feel free to link to your blogs in the comments!

- Dani x

hello!

Welcome to knitted hearts and bow-tied waists!

I'm dani, a twenty-year old girl from a quiet and pretty little welsh town, studying psychology in my favourite city in the world. I live in a house that's slowly falling apart, with a big bay window, a broken oven, a temperamental shower, leopard print throws (they came with the house, oh please believe me that they came with the house) and four of my favourite people in the world: Cat, a journalism student and fellow fledgling blogger; Hazel, a photography student and creator of delicious food; Will, Cat's boyfriend and provider of half price cocktails and tapas; and Chris, Hazel's boyfriend, part popular music student and part dandelion.

left to right: hazel, chris, cat, will's nose, and a clearly enthusiastic me.

I spend a lot of time on buses and coaches and trains and tubes, visiting my lovely boyfriend George, who is made of freshly baked bread and soft knitwear, and making my way back home when I need to get out of the city for a while; mostly, though, I can be found in lectures, shopping, cooking, playing board games or drinking games (or drinking board games!) with my housemates, or watching films (currently 'all of the trilogies') with last year's housemates (I'm sure I'll get on to those later).

summer with george

knitted hearts and bow-tied waists is a little bit fashion, a little bit foodie, a little bit photographic, and a little bit (student) lifestyle. you should expect fifties dresses, chunky knitwear, wedge heels, painted nails, a lot of f1.8, tapas, cocktails, cookies and brownies and cake and bread, scrabble, charity shop finds, and a slightly more than acceptable amount of alcohol.

this is a bit of an adventure for me, and I hope you'll choose to experience it with me!
finally, if you want to follow my day-to-day life or get in contact with me, I can be found on twitter, lookbook, tumblr, and dailybooth.

that's all for now, and I'll see you soon!
- Dani x