22/07/2013

Monday July 22^nd 2013 was a pretty good day for me. Not only was it my birthday, but clever K-Mids and Baby-Cambridge (literally just announced to be called George) decided to reinforce the fact that it’s an excellent day for birthing. Congratulations Kate and Wills! I will now share my birthday with the future King of England*!

Their emergence from the hospital yesterday evening was pretty cute and they did indeed look rather happy. I did however, pick up on Wills’ comment along the lines of 'we've only just met him, this is a very special time' which I interpreted as ‘we’ve done out bit by showing you our baby, now please do your bit and give us some space and privacy!’ which I think is fair enough. I feel quite sorry for them and really do think that the media coverage is slightly excessive. Then again I think that certain articles such as this one are just unnecessary. I’m pretty certain that given the choice, they wouldn’t want any of this hype and they certainly haven’t asked for it. They simply want to enjoy some time with their newborn, like any brand new parents would! I think it would be wonderful if we could give them a bit of space, but also if people who are bitter / ‘pitying’ of the royals / whatever they want to call it, could just pipe down. If you don’t like the media frenzy, ignore it and go and read a good book. It will have died down soon enough.

*Not to put a downer on the mood at all, but wouldn’t it have been just a teensy bit more interesting if it had been a girl?! History would have been made, as she would have been Queen, regardless of brother or not!

Oscars 2k13

Sunday 24th February 2013:
*Jennifer Lawrence (aged 22 and a bit) won an Oscar for best actress and celebrated deep into the night. Wearing Dior.
*Lisa Neiss (aged 21 and a bit) watched a bit of TV and went to bed. Wearing spotty pyjamas.

At least Quavenzhane Wallis (aged 9 and a bit) didn't win. Go and play in the sandpit.

But no, I am no cynic.

The gowns were gorgeous and the dancing delightful. Charlize and Channing, I didn't know you had it in you! And Adele winning her little Oscar.. very much deserved! Oh and Jennifer Anniston in her Valentino. Valentino you god. Despite being the 85th ceremony, the 2013 Oscars were like every year.. fun to watch for the glitz, the glamour and the grandeur.

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. 

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…)

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.