Got my froggy mask and my fluffy pen and I'm ready to vote 🗳 https://www.instagram.com/p/COifh-HHnvc/?igshid=ome6cj19wvrh
Good myself on a study picnic date today, was lovely to just chill outside. Outside! I didn't have a picnic blanket so I used a scrap of fabric which was... A little thin, so maybe I will just turn this fabric into a picnic blanket? The though is there, not sure the conviction is. Hope everyone is enjoying the sun and a bit of freedom https://www.instagram.com/p/CNFlxYkHWKJ/?igshid=1bzydnuryeh07
Left the house today! Got in a vehicle! Went to the beach! It was very nice. I had one of my most interesting #2MinuteBeachClean s yet which included a toy dinosaur trapped under a rock (I've kept him) and a toy monster truck missing a wheel. I also saw a very large plastic veg crate but it was very close to a recently collapsed cliff and I didn't want to take the risk. Along with rubbish I found a devil's toenail fossil, and we had breakfast in front of the sea. What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. I then went home to spend the rest of today in bed, you win some you lose some eh. Also the first and last photo were taken back in the autumn, I looked a lot more windswept today. 🌊 https://www.instagram.com/p/CMsF_wnn6QZ/?igshid=x99c2zo6hdjh
A throwback to last year when I was preparing to go to a youth strike for climate. A lot has changed in the last year but one thing hasn't, my Valentine, this earth, the only home I know. Though admittedly today after almost a year in lockdown I'm definitely focusing on myself today! This time last year I performed my first solo in a burlesque show, gosh I miss people and dancing and being on stage but one day I'm sure we'll be back to that. I hope you have a lovely day wherever you are and whoever you're with 💕 (at Cardiff) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRX8flHHs6/?igshid=14158ia604gji
A very trans selection of books! So I've been though a few stages of lockdown now and the one I'm on right now is "get me away from screens, I've had enough. I will just read my books" and have spent quite a bit of money at @gaysthewordbookshop and other queer and independent bookshops 😂 here are a selection of books by trans author, with trans characters (or both!) that I got myself for Christmas and have now finished. I have more substantial reviews of each on on the blog ~ link in bio ~ but here are my short thoughts on each one. Beyond the gender binary - @alokvmenon . Difficult at first, but overall warm, full of love, creativity, and v informative. An impressive amount in it for a little pocked book! The Death if Vivek Oji - @azemezi. This book is as beautiful as it is sad. A story that unlocks and unravels as you read. Confessions of a Fox - Jordy Rosenberg. A story within a story, 18th century jailbreak, adventure, revolution, and queer theory all thrown in. In Their Shoes - @jamie_windust. A friendly and warm hug of a book that may have hit a little too close to home at times Pet - @azemezi. I engulfed this in one afternoon, an incredibly interesting look at justice and "evil". Yes, You Are Trans Enough - @oh.mia.god. witty, kind, so many emotions. Mia makes me laugh when I maybe should cry. Paul takes the form of a mortal girl - Andrea Lawlor. Queer as heck, smutty, a little chaotic. If you want to read a little more of what I said about these books then deffo click the link in my bio. I'm ploughing through even more books rn so expect more of this! Have you read any of these? Any suggestions as to what I should read next? 📚 https://www.instagram.com/p/CLCdPA8HosF/?igshid=b4jg9ljvavrz
A modern day love story 💕🌯 Today I managed to get myself out of the house for the first time in two weeks (?, the days blur into one). So naturally I bought myself a greggs as a reward. And yes, I am wearing two scarves, couldn't decide which one so I wore both. The rainbow one is a gift from my Nan (I thought she bought it but no she's just perfect at knitting) and the other one is one I either stole from my mum's wardrobe or was bought for me after I stole a similar one from my mum's wardrobe. Yes I am calling myself out as a scarf theif. Oh and @greggs_official I'm still waiting for more vegan stuff. Thanks xoxo (at Cardiff) https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1mhkxnRIp/?igshid=9r2dthpuwujg
Today (though these pictures were definitely not taken today) I am posting to show off this skirt! My v talented mum actually made it, from the "scrap" half of a load of ties she'd used for a separate project. All bought second hand. So this skirt is made of scraps from an upcycling project, That's that I like! Its a little big, but because it's made of old ties it's also kind of padded, which is nice. I have a hard time styling it though as I'm used to colour blocking and this is not a skirt that is a colour block... Also wanted to say thank you to everyone who came to the little sewing circle yesterday! It was small hut very nice to sew and chat and I'm sure I'll share the cactus I've been making soon 🌵 The next sewing circle will be in two weeks time (Saturday 13th) so use the link in my bio to sign up for an invite if you want to join https://www.instagram.com/p/CKt15i1HCFU/?igshid=9376u37cfnol
Finally finished this @stitchwithskye kit my sister got my for my birthday! Finished it off in @sewqueer 's sewing circle which was a lovely space (lots of people! I did change the colours on this piece to feature some yellow and purple pansies because I always seem to use them in my digital art, they're on of my fave flowers. Also hey, it's been a little while insta. Back in October my MSc and my job took over my life a bit and then in December I fell into a lockdown/winter depression hibernation. Now I have a bit of my mojo back I'm trying to do more things I enjoy, I'm reading a bit, studying some Japanese, sewing, dancing. It's nice to be finding joy in things again. Talking of joy and sewing circles I'm thinking of starting my own one weekly/bi weekly so I can do some of my projects and chat with people. I'll put some polls about it in my stories if you're interested! Anyway, goodbye for now, might be back again soon, see where things take me 😊 https://www.instagram.com/p/CKeev-CnLGA/?igshid=1vlikz6uwb4md
So black Friday is generally a pretty unsustainable venture from most brands... I've stayed away from it for years. But @prettylittlething #pltpinkfriday has to be the worst I've ever seen. It makes me feel quite sick. Dresses for 35p, tops and jewellery for less than 5p, people were jumping on the site trying to buy anything, it had it's intended effect. But the consequences? Who is making these clothes? Why is there so much excess that PLT can afford to give hundreds of items away today? You can't be paying your supply chains fairly whilst not going bankrupt from doing this... Not only that but this directly encourages waste. I know back when I shopped fast fashion I too would have tried to grab anything I could from this sale. What a bargain! And ended up with a bunch of stuff I would probably never wear. And if it's this cheap what happens to what isn't sold? What happens to the returns?? On their website PLT claim to love the planet and be doing their part to be sustainable... is that a joke? their actions at the exact opposite. Is this how much you value clothing PLT? Clothing made by people's hands? Clothing made from the earths resources? So yeah, in a few weeks when PLT inevitably bang on about how much they care about the planet and the people on it, coming out with another tint recycled collection, remember this. This shows a lack of regard for the earth and for the people on it who make these clothes. I will be updating my "everything wrong with PLT" blog post tomorrow. Didn't think there could be more wrong but here we are! https://www.instagram.com/p/CIG2On_HdSD/?igshid=1rgm70jbwdu57
Some of you may have seen today that the government revealed the outline of their 10 point plan for the green future of the UK, a green industrial revolution if you will. I had a look at this plan and I had many many thoughts so I thought i would write them down. Especially as to many people these plans can seem pretty big on the surface. So I'm here to demystify and ask lots of questions of the government. Scroll through the images to see a breakdown of what I think of each point on the plan. (I Don't have image descriptions on this but if you need a transcript of the images message me) Overall? Honestly I'm relieved the conservatives are finally saying something concrete about the environment (the bar is low) but this plan is incredibly unambitious. A lot of the points on the plan are things the government have already planned to do and much of the £12 billion proposed for it is not new money either. Also £12 billion?! To tackle the climate crisis, is this real?! The government are proposed to spend £100 billion alone on HS2 which is one rail line but they can't pledge more than 12% of that to a green future for the economy? Can you really call that a revolution? Cause there's really not much that's revolutionary about these plans. There's so much missing, do renewables apart from wind not exist to the conservatives? How is the grid going to meet capacity for all this new electric transport? Where's any thought towards divesting from the fossil fuel industry? Transitioning to a circular economy? A focus on green communities across the UK? Waste management? Curbing non GHG pollution anyone? Decarbonising industries apart from transport and a bit of energy?? I could go on. No, their priorities are clear, It's a focus on technology, and on London being a "world leader", on making more money, dressed up a bit green. Like I said, I'm relieved they're committing doing SOMETHING but they could do so so so much more. And this government keeps making promises and commitments that they do not stick to so... 🤦🏼♀️ we deserve better than this. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHvWI7JnINV/?igshid=llsdymg14sdz
So today i was put on a 100 UK Leading Environmentalists (who happen to be women) list on forbes and it's safe to say I felt conflicted. Mainly because though I am honoured to be on this list with so many women I admire, I don't happen to be a woman and the wrong pronouns were used for me in the article too. After some encouragement from some lovely people (thanks to everyone that messaged me after I posted about this on my story) I replied to the author on Twitter to let her know and she was great about it. My pronouns have been changed and now I just have to decide whether I want to stay on the list... It's conflicting because part of me doesn't want to be removed from this post full of women I really respect and admire and I feel great to have been considered for it. But I also feel like I don't belong there, I'm not a woman and being misgendered and having the wrong pronouns used for me on this article (though it was an honest mistake that and been rectified) did not feel good or right. I also know people aren't going to hurry to make lists of non-binary or trans environmentalists on this scale so I almost feel like I'm taking away opportunities for myself by saying that I want to be removed from the list (and therefore all subsequent lists). Just thought I'd share some inner conflict on the timeline and talk a bit about navigating this binary world this #transawarenessweek. Aparently I needed to make more people aware I was trans 😂🙃 Oh the irony! (at Porthkerry Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHstJTtnMsd/?igshid=14gtuw7ok8nx2
Look, I made a thing with my own two hands! Well and the help of a forge, some hammers, drills and my very talented mother @the_steel_shed_ This is another one of those "I started so I'll eventually finish" lockdown projects and now my prettier bags have a place to live at the entrance of my room rather than just being stuffed behind my mirror. I have to say though that I am very weak and blacksmithing requires a lot of hand strength i do not posses! Would do again though, what else can I make out of metal?? And hey again insta, it's been a while. Hope you're all good lovely beings (or as good as you can be almost a year into a global pandemic) 💕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CHnpIcmHjGg/?igshid=1lslpjbpn18nc
You may have seen the news last wee that Cumbria council have approved a coal mine in Whitehaven for the third time. Sparking outrage and many questions, why has this been approved? I thought we were supposed to be decarbonising here?? Well I go into it in more detail in my latest blog post (link in bio) but here's the spark notes. It's not for energy, the UK currently has 5 coal mines left in use, all set to be decomissoned by 2024. Plus during lockdown the UK went its longest ever stretch without coal: 67 days 22 hours and 55 minutes. 🎉 This mine is going to be minig metallurgic coal, or coking coal, a key component in making steel. With steel being a key component in a lot of building (including renewables like wind turbines). Because of this use of coal the steel and iron industry is a huge emitter, accounting for 11% of all Welsh emissions with all of the current coking coal imported from abroad; places like Australia, Russia, and Brazil. 🌫 So the justification is that this mine will produce coal to replace stuff we would be importing anyway, and in an area desperate for jobs I can sympathise with why Cumbria council gave this the go ahead. But low carbon and carbon free ways of making steel already exist! Even if thwyre not widely used right now. You can use hydrogen instead of coking coal, plus steel is super recyclable so why are we building a new coal mine rather than investing in technology that could actually help curb our CO2 emissions??? The government can still say no to these plans, but whether they will is another question. Boris the other day was banging on about how he wants the UK fuelled by wind, with turbines made here in the UK. Amazing! But mate, that needs lots of steel, which needs quite a lot of carbon so can we invest in clean hydrogen production? Steel recycling? Anyway, hope that's cleared some things up for people! What do you think of it all now? 👩🏼🔧👩🏼🏭 https://www.instagram.com/p/CGIWAbgHKoK/?igshid=1r83qvyks9a3g
A bit of a cheeky costume reveal! Spent a bit of time this weekend (between playing sims) to edit some burlesque videos for an upcoming show. Would love to perform this on stage again soon but the world ain't ready yet 😉💃 If you want to see this whole routine you'll have to come see the upcoming show, a joint charity extravaganza between some amazing burlesque societies. I'll share links when I have them Also (cause of course I have to talk sustainable fashion on this here second hand september) I'm v happy to say that a chunk of this costume is second hand including the gloved which are my great grandmother's... I'm sure she would have been proud to see me using them for burlesque 😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/CFugyLSH-1S/?igshid=o49v6i7w0foe
The costume reveal! Spent a little bit of this weekend (between playing sims) editing burlesque videos for an upcoming show, I'd love to do this routine in front of an audience again but the world isn't ready yet 😉💃 If you want to see the whole routine then you'll have to buy a ticket to my next show, its a joint charity stream between some amazing burlesque societies, ll have details coming soon 😍 Also v happy that a portion (gloves, coat, headband) of this costume is second hand, including the gloves which were my great grandma's... I'm sure she'd be happy to see me doing burlesque in them 😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuf5tRHgLA/?igshid=1gf9m8ud68c06
Basking in the sun whilst it was still out! Wearing a monochrome outfit! Who am I? Two of the items in this outfit are "new" this second hand September. I bought the t shirt in Japan a little while ago and though I love the design it really didn't fit my belly so I just chopped half of it off 😂 Much more my style now! Have at least doubled it's wear inns week or two. Love shopping my own wardrobe for new things by chopping stuff up And the skirt I bought in @scopecharityshops when I was in Taunton, I have been waiting for something cow print to make its way into my life and here it is. Anyhow things are going to be a bit quiet here while I settle into my degree and work routine, I have so many things I want to do on my blog and YouTube but I'm taking it easier for now. Making a big effort to keep balance and look after myself in lockdown 2.0 (which officially started about an hour ago for me). Hope you're all holding up Full outfit deets: Hat : @mai__stitch Shirt: @popboutiquemanchester Top : upcycled Skirt: @scopecharityshops Shoes: doc martens (not the most ethical shoe company) (at Ogmore Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFsJ2NQHxlR/?igshid=1gixv0yzfghxi
Global climate strike | this time last year I was with the crowds in Nottingham calling for change at the global climate strike. This year because of a mix of me having uni and lockdown it's coming from home. I'm making this gesture because @toritsui_ has made me aware of the #FightClimateInjustice for MAPA (most affected people and areas) Today I did my first assignment at uni, a group presentation where my group were looking at the ecological and human impact of renewable energy. I looked at hydroelectric dams in particular Brazil is on a mega project of dam building which on the surface may seem like a good thing but building dams in the Amazon rainforest has it's problems when you're putting profit, industrialisation, and energy before people and planet. Hydroelectric dams built in the Amazon have been found to emit GHGs often on par with (or not much better than) traditional thermal energy plants thanks to the anaerobic digestion of flooded areas. Not only this but these dams cause deforestation during construction, often displace people, and change the way water flows cutting off food and water supplies for the local areas and indigenous people. As indigenous people are also key to sustainability and conservation efforts this has knock on ecological effects too. And I think this helps highlight how important climate justice is within all areas of climate and environmental science, including in the renewables industry. Nothing comes without some cost and when people and planet are not put first, it has consequences. So on today's global day of climate action I stand in solidarity with #MAPA and commit to continuing to centre climate justice and people and planet first thinking in the work that I do. To learn more I reccomend checking out @toritsui_ very informative post! (at Cardiff) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFkX5LjHodO/?igshid=1q9kgoi200ke7