Wednesday 30 January 2013

You're so scrunchaaaayyy


A fair while ago I blew my own trumpet and proclaimed that I was in fact very much ahead of the ‘arm candy’ fashion trend du moment. I am very pretentiously going to tootle on the same trumpet again..

About 2 years ago, in the summer of 2010, my dear friend @anna_bee20 and myself were enjoying a shopping spree. We waltzed into H&M and whilst paying, I fell into the intended consumer trap of H&M: strategically place some products at the till which the customer will innocently glance at while paying… and hopefully buy. Scrunchies. Simply thrown into a little box, for a mere £1.99 for two. I fell into the trap and purchased said scrunchies.

I’ve always been one to shove all of my hair ontop of my head as opposed to elegantly style it, therefore the scrunchies were a godsend for me. Obviously I did have to endure a wee bit of teasing… “ahaha you’re actually wearing a scrunchie?! Are you 5?”

Fast forward to the fashion weeks of S/S 13 and the catwalks are going wild for the scrunchie! Not only Ashish paraded them down their runway, but Vivienne Westwood even commissioned bespoke styles from MCS (My Crazy Scrunchie – Cara Delevingne and Suki Suki Waterhouse are fans). Elle, Cosmopolitan and Company magazines have all commented on them as have, of course, fashion bloggers en masse.

I cannot have been more ahead of the trend. Hells maybe Ashish’s designers even saw me rocking my scrunchies. Naturally I won’t mention the fact that my number one reason for buying those trend babies back in 2010 was to try and prevent further split ends and sheer laziness as opposed to fashion. 





Tuesday 29 January 2013

The Golden Oldies


There are about 3 days left until the end of January 2013 and I have only just realised, that I haven’t actually made any New Years resolutions. Now I don’t normally make any serious resolutions such as learn fluent French / read a novel a week / go to the gym 5x a week. It’s usually more along the lines of ‘try and be a nice person’… However this year I don’t even seem to have got round to thinking about that! So I instead I decided that I’ll think of something I’d genuinely quite like to do at some point. Perhaps not this year, perhaps not even next year, but something that I want to do and hopefully will do!

I have no idea whatsoever why this is the idea that sprung to mind… Why not plan a holiday with my paternal grandparents?

Before you quote me as mad, hear me out. My grandparents (i.e. my dear daddy’s parents) are divorced. Both are remarried. As the word ‘grandparent’ insinuates, both are retired. Therefore they have a lot of time on their hands. Both are for me an embodiment of cultural citizens; something to aspire to. She attends book clubs, sings in a choir, regularly plays in concerts on grand pianos, is a regular at art galleries and even took up the violin. He is an avid reader, foodie and lecturer. Not of the university variety, but of the kinsfolk kind – the slightest reference to politics and we’re off… Nonetheless it is without a shadow of a doubt that I feel that both of them see travelling as their ultimate hobby.  

Of course they’ve both done the obligatory retirement cruise round the Med, but what impresses me a whole lot more are their respective destinations within the last 5 years: Europe, North America, South America, Thailand, Japan, the Antarctic, Australia…  However both have a distinctly different travelling appetite.

Granny dear is a wild one. She’ll go and befriend the outback Koalas and chase some penguins around the South Pole. I reckon she can show me some riveting places and spaces. The Grandfather on the other hand travels differently. The hotels are exquisite and the service benign. Russian heiresses descend to brunch in their Louboutins and the food is divine!

Granny and Gramps don’t go to the ‘in’ places, but simply where they absolutely want to and more importantly how they want to, each loyal to their style. Both of which I want to experience… and who better to show me the world than my cultured grandparents?!

(Obviously I’m also hoping they’ll cover my costs, but whatevs…)

Thursday 24 January 2013

Vive le Podcast!


I’ve always been one of those terribly annoying people that answers the what music do you like? question with oh I like lots of things and really enjoy listening to a big range of bands and artists. What a hopeless case. But it’s true! I’d happily go and see Mozart’s The Magic Flute opera with mother on a Monday, accompany the BFF to The Scissor Sisters on a Tuesday, coo over Marina + the Diamonds with daddy dearest on a Wednesday, bop away to a Seth Troxler set on a Thursday… you get it. Also, playlists are my fave thing. Perhaps because they somewhat enable me to fulfill my control freak nature of organisation, but I’d like to say that it's more because then I can freely compose a biiig mixture of musica!
Recently though, I’ve been venturing more and more into the world of the Podcast. I went through a definite The Best of the Chris Moyles Show [Enhanched] phase when I was about 14, but since then my iPod hasn’t really made full use of it’s FREE Podcast capabilities!

Thankfully this has all changed. Allow me to make some (slightly geeky and lit-graduate-esque) podcast suggestions… I listen to these for the purposes of ‘entertainment’ but also to a certain degree some form of self education and cultural development. Paha.  
The Bookslam Podcast – a combination of literature, slam poetry and live music, this is literature but in bitesize, fun and approachable chunks. A personal favourite extract of mine is the poem about British motorway service stations!

The Literary Salon – Damian Barr’s Shoreditch House Literary salon... I get some crackin’ reading suggestions from this. Plus it’s always nice to know what’s actually going through an author’s head!

The Wired.co.uk Podcast – this satisfies the little tech nerd in me I guess. It also teaches me just about enough about the world of technology, so that when once again the office is discussing ‘the rise of google’, the latest apps or simply ANOTHER Facebook threat to our privacy, I can nod and contribute.

BBC R4’s Book Club (yes, really..) – I’ve always been more of a Radio 1 kinda gal, but this Book Club podcast is a real sweetie. Especially those recordings from the 1990s…JK Rowling discussing the release of her ‘unknown fourth Harry Potter’..!!

Short radio play with Alan Bennett & Judi Dench – a one-off podcast recording. Pure genius. 

Sunday 20 January 2013

Say whaa?

In the words of Bill Bryson, “it is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.” - Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
I was listening to a literary podcast the other day which mention the above.. Tired as I was, I had no idea how to even begin thinking about this. In effect we're just dust?! But I swear I'm made of flesh, blood and bones? (Not to mention passion, intellect and wisdom. Ha.) 

I think it's going to be one of those topics that I'll save for next time when friends and I have a cheeky drink. Or two, or three. And we'll bring it up and have a DMC. (Deep Meaningful Chat. Obviously).

I'll report back.

Wednesday 16 January 2013

3 Things that I currently do that I don’t have time for


What the title says. Literally & metaphorically – make of it what you wish!

*‘Kimye’ – it’s fine, I get it, they’re dating and they’re happy. Oh and in case you didn’t know, they’re having a baby. Which I incidentally feel should be named ‘PR Stunt Kardashian-West.’ This poor child is going to be splattered across the media so much so that it’s face will almost probably become more familiar to me than my own reflection…while earning mummy and daddy Kimye sweet sweet $$$$$$s

*Bern: the picturesque capital of Switzerland. Idyllic, charming and endearing. Superb for shopping it is not, but nonetheless well worth a visit. Japanese / Spanish / American tourists or locals, all bumble along the cobbled streets or gracefully meander through the arcades, stopping to ooh and ah at the delightful displays of local artefacts in the windows… Here two worlds collide. I am an excessively fast walker, I have places to go and people to see.. But no-one in Berne seems to share my mentality! And the arcades are so narrow. So narrow! I can’t get past!

*The cold air makes my hands dry and look unpleasant.


Thursday 10 January 2013

Surfin' & Spendin'

One of my new year's resolutions has already gone out the window - to spend less time surfing, babe. Before you see me before you, all wind swept beach hair and hot bikini bod, I must disappoint you. I mean surfing the world wide web. 

I can easily waste hours reading blogs, online articles & features.. Having said that, if it weren't for this banal activity, I wouldn't have discovered gems such as the new British brand deetz. Their Lola top is YUM. A little pricey for my graduate self, it is made of silk though..!!

I may do a little overhaul of my 2013 resolutions. 

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Bowie's Birthday!


What wonderful news to wake up to! David Bowie, the beaming birthday boy (happy 66th my friend) has only gone and released some new material! Perhaps in tune with the upcoming V&A exhibition on the great man himself?

Have a listen, have a love!

Monday 7 January 2013

Christmas & New Years 2012


The Christmas / New Years season this year has been a good one... Friends, festivities, frolicking and food. In hindsight I’d say for me, the best things about this season have been:

Holidayyy Whether you love work or hate work, it’s always nice to have a little time off. This is probably the one time of the year where it’s totally acceptable to laze around in ‘loungewear’ all day and do nothing. Apart from drink. And eat. Even if you’re revising for GCSEs, A-levels, Uni finals, Accountancy exams etc etc it is frowned upon to get your revision notes out on Christmas Day. Make the most of it…
…On that note, it’s 100% acceptable to drink all day and take a nap whenever you feel snoozy!

Port wine & cigars on Christmas Eve This has turned into a bit of a Neiss Family tradition. Daddy’s dinner has been devoured and everyone is deliciously drunk. All the grown men and the children (or ‘semi-adults’ as I term myself) head onto the patio to smoke a cigar and drink some port wine. (Obviously the children are just there to smoke up the atmosphere. Not an actual cigar.) This year I pushed the boat out...I smoked a Virginia Super Slim.

Presents Giving, receiving, whatever takes your fancy. Who the hell doesn’t like getting new stuff or seeing that smile on mummy’s face when you’ve given her something cute and loving?! Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without a bit of giving and getting. After all, Baby Jesus got some gold, frankincense, myrrh, some sheep etc etc

Christmas carols and especially Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! This hymn has such a feel good factor about it that they should prescribe daily 10 minutes of singing it at the top of your lungs to anyone suffering from depression.

Christmas TV & Films The Muppets’ Christmas Carol! Elf! Miracle on 34th Street! Love Actually! I could go on.. Christmas films + a glass of mulled = pure bliss. I’m not even going to start on Christmas TV specials… Christmas Specials are always bloody brilliant, no matter how bad the TV show.

Finally, I’m going to be controversial and say Christmas Eve. Yes. Better than Christmas Day. For my family, coming from a European background, this is the classic present exchanging time anyway, as opposed to Christmas Day. However I’m inclined to say that the Christmas Eve activities of decorating the tree, eating a good meal, singing a few carols, midnight mass and the anticipation of the next day are what makes it so great. Unlike Christmas Day, no-one runs out of steam and there isn’t a huge anti-climax.
-       Sub note: this year Christmas Eve was altogether something special... My aunt received a copy of the notorious Fifty Shades of Grey and post-port wine and champers, father dearest thought it would be a complete hoot to read from it. Aloud. Obviously only the sex scenes. 

Ah the Christmas season..!! 

Wednesday 2 January 2013

2kThirteen

photo from here
wham bam thank you ma'am 

...and just like that it's 2013! I honestly can't believe 2012 has gone already, what a year it was!!
Just some of my highlights include: graduating from uni, Portugal with the uni galdem, turning 21, watching the olympics / paralympics (team GB!), helping HM the Queen celebrate her golden jubilee,  completing 2 internships & landing a 3rd one...and and and..

Happy New Year guys and gals! xx