Books have always had an impact on my thinking, either my view on life or myself. I like to reflect afterwards. I love how a really good story can make you feel warm inside. The ones that draw you in, where you are the main character and your own life gets left behind.
I like to read in silence – that is no outside noise. I don’t mind listening to my ipod – I use it to drown out everyone else. Books need to be concentrated on, so you can easily slip into another world for five minutes, half an hour or a whole day!
Some of my favourite places are libraries and bookshops where I’m surrounded by endless possibilities. Do I want to be in the past, present or future? Teenage, crime, fantasy, chick lit, action or everyday life? Classic or modern?
My ambition is to own a house with its own library, involving a swinging ladder, like in Beauty and the Beast. Then I’d have window seats, cosy chairs, a big four poster bed, a swing chair in my garden and a beautifully carved bench – all for the pleasure of reading.
Monday, 15 February 2010
My sub-personalities
I've been going through old notebooks and found odd rambles that I thought I would publish.
This one is based around a series of books I used to read as a teenager; the mates, dates and... In one book a girl spoke of all the different personalities she was composed of, so I decided to think about my own sub-personalities.
Goody two-shoes: She helps around the house, is hardly ever shouted at by her parents, does extra work for university and always follows the rules.
Ana: She is a dominative person, my anorexic voice and is very negative. I wish she would leave but deep down I know she’ll always be a part of me. This is the one that makes me skip meals and exercise.
Sally: She is the shy one who I am around new people and boys I like. She blushes a lot and is very quiet.
Scarlett: She is very flirty; mostly around boys when she is drunk.
Elizabeth: She is the book reader and an aspiring author/journalist as well as a daydreamer.
Maiya: She is the girl I wish I was; the one who usually appears in my daydreams. She is popular, tall, slim, pretty and intelligent. She has mid-length blonde hair, plays for a sports team and is a dancer. In my eyes, she is perfect.
Angel: She is completely innocent.
Maggie: She is very childish and appears when I am in an ana drama, shy or nervous or when I’m with younger people.
This one is based around a series of books I used to read as a teenager; the mates, dates and... In one book a girl spoke of all the different personalities she was composed of, so I decided to think about my own sub-personalities.
Goody two-shoes: She helps around the house, is hardly ever shouted at by her parents, does extra work for university and always follows the rules.
Ana: She is a dominative person, my anorexic voice and is very negative. I wish she would leave but deep down I know she’ll always be a part of me. This is the one that makes me skip meals and exercise.
Sally: She is the shy one who I am around new people and boys I like. She blushes a lot and is very quiet.
Scarlett: She is very flirty; mostly around boys when she is drunk.
Elizabeth: She is the book reader and an aspiring author/journalist as well as a daydreamer.
Maiya: She is the girl I wish I was; the one who usually appears in my daydreams. She is popular, tall, slim, pretty and intelligent. She has mid-length blonde hair, plays for a sports team and is a dancer. In my eyes, she is perfect.
Angel: She is completely innocent.
Maggie: She is very childish and appears when I am in an ana drama, shy or nervous or when I’m with younger people.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Lily Allen - GQ
The April 2008 issue of Q magazine won the best cover award from the Maggies, beating 30 other nominees. The cover features Lily Allen and two panthers. It makes a really bold statement, having dangerous animals on the front, implying that Lily is also ferocious. However in reality Lily isn’t as brave as she looks. In fact, the pictures of the panther were digitally put in.
Lily Allen is a strong personality, amongst a fickle celebrity world. By photographing her with the panthers, her character is reflected. Her black hair, monochrome skirt and black tights compliment this, as well as the fact that she is wearing little else. Having the cover just in black and white, with just the redness of the Q icon, makes the cover stand out and give it a traditional vibe.
The way Lily is standing – her back towards the camera, glancing over her shoulder – seems as though she doesn’t want to give all herself away to the media. Yet at the same time, the caption states that we know all of her wild adventures, “Beast Lily and her wicked, wicked ways”. According to one review, Allen’s management liked the idea of her being photographed with panthers to showcase her “wild image”
For me, I don’t see the significance in her having no top on, apart from maybe to show a vulnerable side. Maybe it just comes down to our society. Sex sells.
There are conflicting views on the Internet as well as within Q. The photographer, John Wright, said that “she wasn’t sure about taking her top off but we got there in the end.” Whereas in Lily’s own single The Fear, she sings, “I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless”, so why the shyness? She even admits in the interview that years ago she used to get her hair cut for cheaper by flashing her breasts at the hairdresser. “If I did it enough, I’d get it for free.”
She is apparently also a fan of the naked female form and attends strip joints, although she does admit to feeling awkward.
I do like the bold statement that this front cover makes, but if we take the other nominees into consideration, there wasn’t much competition for it to win the best cover of the year. The only main contender for me was the cover for the first issue of Love magazine, which featured a striking naked Beth Ditto. Putting a very curvaceous woman on the front cover in a society obsessed with size zero is daring in itself. The other covers were fairly bland. From the Christmas Radio times of Wallace and Gromit to Ok!’s portrayal of Jade Goody’s wedding, from Glamour’s Kiera Knightely shot to GQ’s David Beckham, these were all general shots of celebrities that we see every month. Where has the originality gone?
Lily Allen is a strong personality, amongst a fickle celebrity world. By photographing her with the panthers, her character is reflected. Her black hair, monochrome skirt and black tights compliment this, as well as the fact that she is wearing little else. Having the cover just in black and white, with just the redness of the Q icon, makes the cover stand out and give it a traditional vibe.
The way Lily is standing – her back towards the camera, glancing over her shoulder – seems as though she doesn’t want to give all herself away to the media. Yet at the same time, the caption states that we know all of her wild adventures, “Beast Lily and her wicked, wicked ways”. According to one review, Allen’s management liked the idea of her being photographed with panthers to showcase her “wild image”
For me, I don’t see the significance in her having no top on, apart from maybe to show a vulnerable side. Maybe it just comes down to our society. Sex sells.
There are conflicting views on the Internet as well as within Q. The photographer, John Wright, said that “she wasn’t sure about taking her top off but we got there in the end.” Whereas in Lily’s own single The Fear, she sings, “I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless”, so why the shyness? She even admits in the interview that years ago she used to get her hair cut for cheaper by flashing her breasts at the hairdresser. “If I did it enough, I’d get it for free.”
She is apparently also a fan of the naked female form and attends strip joints, although she does admit to feeling awkward.
I do like the bold statement that this front cover makes, but if we take the other nominees into consideration, there wasn’t much competition for it to win the best cover of the year. The only main contender for me was the cover for the first issue of Love magazine, which featured a striking naked Beth Ditto. Putting a very curvaceous woman on the front cover in a society obsessed with size zero is daring in itself. The other covers were fairly bland. From the Christmas Radio times of Wallace and Gromit to Ok!’s portrayal of Jade Goody’s wedding, from Glamour’s Kiera Knightely shot to GQ’s David Beckham, these were all general shots of celebrities that we see every month. Where has the originality gone?
Small Town Girl
Living in a small coastal town in the North East often makes me feel suffocated and itching to escape its confinements. Although South Shields has pretty scenery with the National Trust protected coastline, beaches and inner town parks, the main centre as well as the housing estates are dismal. Brick houses, rubbish-filled gardens, buildings dirtied by pigeons and seagulls seem even bleaker, with the grey sky that resides all year round and the miserable people that loiter around the streets.
Being someone who is well travelled (Europe, New Zealand, America), I know that there is more exciting places out there. Every time I return from a holiday, I am filled with dread as soon as I see the familiar row of shops near to where I live.
South Shields is full of people with no ambition. They will remain in the same town until they die, after marrying someone they went to school with. And I’m not being stereotypical. It’s the truth. I know people who have only been as far as Newcastle. They live in South Shields, they work there, they socialise there. They have no desire to experience other cultures.
Added to this, my town is full of charvahs. Wearing tracksuits, berghauses and huge hoop earrings, they are generally either on the dole or have three or four children at the age of 22. Their social habits? Drinking on street corners, causing fights and engaging in casual unprotected sex. Their attitude? They care about themselves and everyone else can f**k off.
When I was younger and naïve, I used to be scared of groups of charvahs, keeping my head down and scuttling past them. But lately I’ve developed an “I don’t care attitude.” I’ve realised that they have nothing going for them and by showing you aren’t bothered, they are more likely to leave you alone.
Another problem with small towns is no privacy. Everybody knows everything about everyone; even things you didn’t know about yourself! There are no secrets; this is a place where the local celebrities are either those who are out partying every night (the “IT” girls and boys if you like) or those who work behind bars.
And this is all why I felt proud when Joe McElderry won The X-Factor. Here was someone getting their big break and managing to escape from a town with no prospects. One day I hope to getaway too.
Being someone who is well travelled (Europe, New Zealand, America), I know that there is more exciting places out there. Every time I return from a holiday, I am filled with dread as soon as I see the familiar row of shops near to where I live.
South Shields is full of people with no ambition. They will remain in the same town until they die, after marrying someone they went to school with. And I’m not being stereotypical. It’s the truth. I know people who have only been as far as Newcastle. They live in South Shields, they work there, they socialise there. They have no desire to experience other cultures.
Added to this, my town is full of charvahs. Wearing tracksuits, berghauses and huge hoop earrings, they are generally either on the dole or have three or four children at the age of 22. Their social habits? Drinking on street corners, causing fights and engaging in casual unprotected sex. Their attitude? They care about themselves and everyone else can f**k off.
When I was younger and naïve, I used to be scared of groups of charvahs, keeping my head down and scuttling past them. But lately I’ve developed an “I don’t care attitude.” I’ve realised that they have nothing going for them and by showing you aren’t bothered, they are more likely to leave you alone.
Another problem with small towns is no privacy. Everybody knows everything about everyone; even things you didn’t know about yourself! There are no secrets; this is a place where the local celebrities are either those who are out partying every night (the “IT” girls and boys if you like) or those who work behind bars.
And this is all why I felt proud when Joe McElderry won The X-Factor. Here was someone getting their big break and managing to escape from a town with no prospects. One day I hope to getaway too.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Gossip Girl and I
Long gone are the days when we used to watch Sex and The City for the latest fashion trends. Now we have four younger girls to aspire from - Blair Waldorf, Serena Van der Woodsen, Vanessa Abrams and Jenny Humphrey. From shift dresses to hot pants, each girl has their own individual look, even down to their school uniforms.
Coloured tights have been splashed across the screens since season 1; but they are especially a trend this autumn/winter. I found the best range on www.tightsplease.co.uk. Jonathon Aston 40 dernier opaque tights are a bargain at £5.99 - considering many tights are now priced at £12 or more! These come in white, pink, mulberry, orange, royal blue, purple, green, powder blue, scarlet, velvet green, hyacinth, candy pink … but to name a few! At the moment the website is offering free delivery and shopping vouchers. And if you buy the november issue of Company, they currently have a 20% off voucher.
Blair takes her style inspiration from Audrey Hepburn, who is also a personal favourite of mine, with shift dresses, tailored skirts, blouses and the infamous Blair hairband. Across the high street, tailored pieces are popular this season with Miss Selfridge and New Look having the best ranges. In fact I have just bought a red shift dress from New Look for £18, which also comes in black and purple. Big bowed hairbands in silver, purple and black can be bought in Internacionale.
According to Eric Damon (Gossip Girl’s stylist), Serena is going through a character change. However she still dress in her usual hotpant and waistcoat attire with her lush, natural wavy blonder hair. Miss Selfridge again have high waisted shorts in dark and light denim for £35.
Vanessa has more of an indie style, choosing to wear lots of bright colours and flowing material. I particually liked her maxi dress in episode 2. Unfortuantely I am not sure a dress like it would be appropriate for our rainy, bitter weather!
Jenny has gone very rock chick in this season. Personally I wouldn’t have been allowed to dress like this when I was 15, but I still love her look. dark smoky eyes, blood red lips, black clothing and fishnet tights. Bourgeois and Mac have a good range of red lipsticks. However if you just want to play about with red, you can get one for a £1 at Asda!
What I like most about Gossip Girl is that every character dresses differently and is therefore able to reflect their own personalities. To me, this is what fashion is about. Tired of seeing clones, wearing the same items from popular stores like Topshop I find myself screaming ‘Where is our individuality?!’
Coloured tights have been splashed across the screens since season 1; but they are especially a trend this autumn/winter. I found the best range on www.tightsplease.co.uk. Jonathon Aston 40 dernier opaque tights are a bargain at £5.99 - considering many tights are now priced at £12 or more! These come in white, pink, mulberry, orange, royal blue, purple, green, powder blue, scarlet, velvet green, hyacinth, candy pink … but to name a few! At the moment the website is offering free delivery and shopping vouchers. And if you buy the november issue of Company, they currently have a 20% off voucher.
Blair takes her style inspiration from Audrey Hepburn, who is also a personal favourite of mine, with shift dresses, tailored skirts, blouses and the infamous Blair hairband. Across the high street, tailored pieces are popular this season with Miss Selfridge and New Look having the best ranges. In fact I have just bought a red shift dress from New Look for £18, which also comes in black and purple. Big bowed hairbands in silver, purple and black can be bought in Internacionale.
According to Eric Damon (Gossip Girl’s stylist), Serena is going through a character change. However she still dress in her usual hotpant and waistcoat attire with her lush, natural wavy blonder hair. Miss Selfridge again have high waisted shorts in dark and light denim for £35.
Vanessa has more of an indie style, choosing to wear lots of bright colours and flowing material. I particually liked her maxi dress in episode 2. Unfortuantely I am not sure a dress like it would be appropriate for our rainy, bitter weather!
Jenny has gone very rock chick in this season. Personally I wouldn’t have been allowed to dress like this when I was 15, but I still love her look. dark smoky eyes, blood red lips, black clothing and fishnet tights. Bourgeois and Mac have a good range of red lipsticks. However if you just want to play about with red, you can get one for a £1 at Asda!
What I like most about Gossip Girl is that every character dresses differently and is therefore able to reflect their own personalities. To me, this is what fashion is about. Tired of seeing clones, wearing the same items from popular stores like Topshop I find myself screaming ‘Where is our individuality?!’
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
I’m a vegetarian and I like bacon.
And not this crappy, fake bacon. Real bacon.
This may seem utterly weird, a veggie eating meat. So what’s it all about?
I gave up meat six years ago, but have a constant craving for bacon. Becoming vegetarian was natural for me. I never ate much meat, except for chicken and bacon. I hated the taste of most meat, preferring the colourful richness of vegetables.
Something was missing though. My body was calling out for protein. So I eventually caved in. I wanted, needed even, bacon, smothered in ketchup in a floury bap.
And that’s what I ate, with fried mushrooms! With protests from my vegetarian mother of how I would be sick from one mouthful.
I’ll admit: I was a bit nervous. Yet faced with my task, I was surprised at how easy it was. And how much I enjoyed every explosion of flavours with each mouthful! Now, when can I have my next one?
This may seem utterly weird, a veggie eating meat. So what’s it all about?
I gave up meat six years ago, but have a constant craving for bacon. Becoming vegetarian was natural for me. I never ate much meat, except for chicken and bacon. I hated the taste of most meat, preferring the colourful richness of vegetables.
Something was missing though. My body was calling out for protein. So I eventually caved in. I wanted, needed even, bacon, smothered in ketchup in a floury bap.
And that’s what I ate, with fried mushrooms! With protests from my vegetarian mother of how I would be sick from one mouthful.
I’ll admit: I was a bit nervous. Yet faced with my task, I was surprised at how easy it was. And how much I enjoyed every explosion of flavours with each mouthful! Now, when can I have my next one?
I wish I had … the lifestyle of Cheryl Cole
From being named the nation’s favourite sweetheart to being fancied by 90% of the male population, it would be amazing to be Cheryl Cole for a day.
Performing in front of thousands with big acts like Will.i.am or the rest of Girl’s Aloud would be fantastic, especially as my usual place is a member of the cat’s choir.
For those of us not blessed with superstar confidence, being pampered 24/7 would certainly make me feel like a million dollars. Lavished with beauty products? Yes, please! Given the hottest designer clothes? Yes, please!
But with every celebrity success story there is a downside. Nagging on TV from Simon Cowell? No, thanks. A cheating husband? No, thank you.
Maybe not then. When it comes down to it, I prefer my own simple, private life!
Performing in front of thousands with big acts like Will.i.am or the rest of Girl’s Aloud would be fantastic, especially as my usual place is a member of the cat’s choir.
For those of us not blessed with superstar confidence, being pampered 24/7 would certainly make me feel like a million dollars. Lavished with beauty products? Yes, please! Given the hottest designer clothes? Yes, please!
But with every celebrity success story there is a downside. Nagging on TV from Simon Cowell? No, thanks. A cheating husband? No, thank you.
Maybe not then. When it comes down to it, I prefer my own simple, private life!
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