lie for a while with your ear against the earth and you'll hear your sister sleep talking ♥ ;

I have recently discovered this band and I absolutely cannot stop listening

to this particular song - the video's pretty special too. I really can imagine 

falling in love to this song, it's a peach. 

Sincerely, Alexa ♥

amsterdam;

Recently I took a trip to Amsterdam with three of my favourite girls. It was probably the most fun I've had in such a long time and I definitely needed the break before I started my new job. I didn't take a whole bunch of photos but I thought I'd share my favourites with you.

The erotic museum, funniest cartoons I ever saw, but a bit of a let down really.

View from the boat, Hull looks surprisingly beautiful.

Any kiddo who grew up in the UK in the 90's will understand how amazing this find was.

Hannah and our lovely new American Friend, Mark.

We managed to get a pretty cheap deal £150 for the ferry and hotel (though I have since learnt that you can take the megabus for just £8!) and a 4* hotel at that. 
We squeezed in so much over the three days we were there and it's definitely an eye opener. 
We visited Anne Frank Haus and it was one of the most moving places I have ever had
 the privilege of visiting. We went to the red light district, ate steak, saw a peep show and visited several museums. It was a peach of a holiday and I highly recommend Amsterdam for a short break.




 Sincerely, Alexa ♥

i've got a wealth of new ideas;

I've been making plans of late for some little projects that I'll be sure to write up 

tutorials for to put up on here. These are some of the photographs that

have inspired me.

Photographs a, b, c e, g c/o Pintrest.    Photograph d c/o Flappergirl    Photograph f c/o Paper Pastries

I've decided I need to tone up and get healthy for summer and what better way to show off 

my gorgeous bicycle than to get it out on the road. Two birds one stone ey?

Not my actual bicycle, but I own the same one! Isn't she a peach? Photograph c/o Pintrest. 

I'm super excited for the weekend because me and three of my favourite girl pals are 

heading to Amsterdam for a holiday. I'll be taking plenty of photographs to share with you, which 

you can get a sneak peak of on my instagram (username is 5ampicnics). I know it's late notice

but if anyone knows of any great places to eat or visit or go out, please drop

me a comment. 

Have a lovely weekend kiddos.

Sincerely, Alexa ♥

these photographs, keep me alive;

Here are just a few instagram pictures from a day trip to the Lake District.

It was an absolute peach of a day, I don't think I've ever seen the Lakes so sunny.

My new favourite skirt ♥

Two of my best one's and one of my favourite couples ever, Wills and Stephie.
Aren't they gorgeous?

Sincerely, Alexa ♥

a smile and a ribbon;

In the year since I graduated finding full time work is something that has not come easily.

 I am one of the lucky ones who managed to find a part time job and even though it was 

a whole other city away I counted my blessings. I know I am not the only one of my friends

who was in this situation but it really truly got me down - silly I know.

Recently I remembered something my Papabear said to me about positive thinking and so I

decided that the only way things were going to change and get better

was if I kept positive and told myself they were definitely going to happen. So I applied for some

jobs and I thought positive and I got TWO interviews.

There was one I wanted more that the other (but I obviously went along to both)
 and so I kept thinking about just how much I wanted it.

I was told over five hundred people had applied and that I was in the lucky 100 that were

being interviewed and out of those around twenty would be hired with only seven full time positions!
Oh my gosh, what a lot of pressure. 

So I went to the interview and tried my best not

to ramble on and keep my calm and be myself and be honest.

So for the few days after my interview I kept telling myself, this is it, just keep positive.
And on Monday, I got a phone call from my new manager telling me that I'd really impressed them and that they'd like to offer me a job at the new Urban Outfitters opening up in my town. 

So from now on I've made a promise to myself to keep positive, it's not a bad life, it's just a bad day. 
I also decided a new job needs a new hair cut, and so I decided to do something daring 
and got a full fringe too. Eeek! Let me know what you think.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Lake District for the day, and I absolutely cannot wait, it's my favourite place in the world.

Sincerely, Alexa ♥





Please visit the Urban Outfitters York Facebook page and click "Like" for me? We need 1000 likes by June 1st! 

scent with love;

I don't know about you, but once I find a perfume I love I tend to be pretty loyal and wear nothing else so you can imagine how upset I was to discover that my absolute favourite perfume, the one I have worn since I was fifteen had been discontinued. I have been wearing Anna Sui – Sui Dreams (the handbag shaped bottle) for so long, I cannot remember wearing anything other and I absolutely cannot find anything that smells even a tiny bit similar - if anyone knows of anything please let me know! I am watching several bottles on Ebay but unfortunately for me they're going for insane prices which I really cannot justify spending right now. 

Despite feeling pretty let down by Anna Sui for her decision to get rid of this beautiful vanilla based scent, I decided that perhaps this could be seen as a positive change. Almost nine whole years have passed since I started wearing that perfume, so perhaps it is time for a change. Over the past three weeks I bought three new scents to test out and see which one is my best fit.

 Daisy – Marc Jacobs

I have always admired this sweet perfume ever since I first met one of my best friends Nicola who always wears it. It's quite pricey but I managed to blag a bottle at a very reasonable price via Ebay. My favourite flower is the daisy and so I suppose that this is only apt. I adore it's spring daisy scent and the bottle is just so pretty. I think this is probably my favourite of the three so perhaps this will be my new signature scent. 

Eau de Pafum - Orla Kiely 

I love Orla Kiely! Her work is just so sweet and her fragrance is no different. This is a lovely everyday perfume and is again quite a florally scent with a hint of chocolate. It's a little less subtle than the Daisy perfume and I have had several compliments already. I do love this perfume, but I just don't know if it's quite me, though I'd definitely use it every so often for something a little different. 

Dolly Girl – Anna Sui

I picked this out because I'd been given it for Christmas when I was younger but couldn't remember it's smell. I think perhaps I naively thought (hoped) perhaps it would smell similar to it's sister scent. Unfortunately it smells nothing alike, despite this it is a very pretty scent with a spicy edge because it has notes of cinnamon. I don't think I'll be buying this scent again, but I am in love with the unusual bottle.

 I don't know if I've found one I like quite as much just yet, but I'm having fun searching and building up a pretty impressive perfume collection along the way. I think I'll be testing out Dior Cherie next. Let me know if there are any perfumes you 'd recommend or if you know of that are similar to Sui Dreams – Anna if you're reading this, pretty please bring back my perfume.

Sincerely, Alexa ♥

je suis retourné;

I'm back after a little break and you may notice some big, big changes here on 5 a.m picnics. I'd like to start by saying thankyou to my sweet friend Steph B (fellow Ma Bicyclette girly) of Felt Mountain Studios for creating this design just for me, isn't it a peach? I have been busy working and interning these past few weeks, so sorry for a quiet spell, but I am back and I promise to be a super active blogger from this day forth. 

I am one super happy Android customer now that they've kindly decided to let us have Instagram, you can follow mine by clicking the link in the sidebar. There's just far too much I want to photograph, so I apologise if I bombard you with everything I stumble upon. Here are some of my photos to date.

I have recently started embroidery, I have picked out some beautiful fabrics and I am going to be stitching on some of my own designs I've drawn up of my friends for surprise gifts. 

I have collected all the bits and pieces for my giveaway, so keep promoting 5 a.m picnics and once I hit fifty followers I'll let you know how you can enter.

 Sincerely, Alexa ♥