Trip to Bristol + Stationery Haul

Beginning the new year by feeding my stationery and art supply addiction.. huh. Judgements aside, yesterday I went on a day trip to the city of Bristol to meet up with my friend (Paulie Bleaker, those who know, know.). I live a couple hours away so I had to get a bus then a train and then finally a coach which was actually very stress-free :). Our first stop was this crazy 3 floor stationery, art and party supply shop - so a very dangerous location for somebody like me lol. My favourite paints are gouache paints, which are like a watercolour acrylic hybrid, so when I saw some I knew I had to get at least one tube. Unfortunately they only had the most expensive brand ever - Windsor and Newton - and the only white tubes they had were huge. So I caved and just got it anyway lol, at least it's cheaper than ordering online and paying shipping?

My version of a Gucci bag

After that we went to a cute coffee shop that we had been to before which is especially cool because its 100% vegan and also a cooperative, meaning that everyone who works there owns it! I was between buying a breakfast sandwich or cake, so I got this amazing chai cake and an oat milk cappuccino.  

Post cake and coffee demolition...

As far as cities go, Bristol is a very large one with cool shops being literally all over the place - so you have to do a lot of walking lol. Our next stop was an incredible punk and hardcore record shop, which I have actually ordered from online before. I just had to go through every CD there lol and there were so many good ones, for example, Sparta's Three and two Gameface albums! I decided on Thursday's most hated album: Common Existence, so now I'm only one album from completing my collection, yay! My friend bought Reign of Terror by Sleigh Bells, which was a cool find because it's not an album I'd expect in a punk record store. 

After more shopping we were hungry again so we went to a ramen place and were somehow lucky enough to get there lunch deal which was cool. We both got the chilli tofu ramen and some free sides of edamame beans and some mushroom gyoza. All incredibly tasty!! 

Pre-demolition this time

 Then it was time to catch our respective transport back,, sob. But I did get a seat on the coach all to myself hehe. It was completely pitch black on the way back and the coach was very dark too which was cozy. I spent most of the time listening to the audio book of Geoff Rickly's Someone Who Isn't Me - it was funny, I was listening to the parts where he is talking about being in a tour bus and I was like.. I'm on a bus.. woah. I also ate some delicious sour sweets too so the journey was really great actually. 

Haul time! (Left to right) The book Death in Her Hands and the cat patch are both Christmas gifts from my friend - the cat is soo cute. Then we got Common Existence and below that a sketchbook that I actually got with a gift card - yay!. Next to that is a journal because my other one has nearly died. At the top are these amazing stickers that look like 2000s photoshop brushes, not sure what to use them for though lol. Below that are some postcards I got, the desert one reminds me of Dune hehe. 

A good start to the year I think! But also now I have even more sketchbooks T-T. Will probably make a proper new year post maybe.. but I don't think I have any resolutions this year... Happy New Year though!! <3