whatkatiedid

I live in Manchester, UK. I work in the arts and am also currently studying for an MA in English literature. I love reading/ writing and am addicted to keeping a journal.

I love vintage clothes and accessories (especially 30s/40s/50s), old children's book illustrations, fashion illustrations, artist's/designer's sketchbooks etc.

Some other things I like: red shoes, pyjamas, reading children's books, tulips, baking cakes, stripy jumpers, cats, hot baths, berets, Victoriana, nice stationery, red lipstick, polka dots, cherries, afternoon tea, candlelight, velvet ribbons, ballet, bookshops, being by the sea, red wine, exploring cities (paris, venice, amsterdam...), junk shops, collecting beads and buttons and ribbons, really good pens, daisies...

Too many to list, but some favourites are:

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamund Lehmann, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.

I also collect old children's books, especially girls' school stories and adventure series from the 40s/50s such as Malcolm Saville's 'Lone Pine' Books.

Casablanca, Little Miss Sunshine, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Lost in Translation, The Wizard of Oz, Pan's Labyrinth, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Clueless, The Virgin Suicides, Amelie, Pretty Woman and Legally Blonde (of course!)

At the moment I'm listening to CSS, Bonde do Role, Bat for Lashes, The Pipettes, David Bowie, Kate Bush and also my boyfriend's Kraftwerk records...

Collage and any kind of general messing about with bits of paper, scissors, glue, stickers and pretty pens and crayons. I have recently rediscovered knitting which I love. Other than that, I'll have a go at most things (making jewelery, painting, sewing etc) but tend to have a better time with making stuff if it doesn't matter if you make a big mess and do it a bit wrong!