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| Via Jord |
For Women, a pair of Sorrel boots or a wooden watch from Jord would make a unique gift. Or something beautiful form Juila Kostreva.
Stationary lovers would love a notebook from Pulp or why not get something bright and quirky from Poketo?
Hipster gift guide
For Women, a pair of Sorrel boots or a wooden watch from Jord would make a unique gift. Or something beautiful form Juila Kostreva.
Stationary lovers would love a notebook from Pulp or why not get something bright and quirky from Poketo?
But Does It Float
The site is a collection of fine art style photography, drawing, painting and design. Often mysterious abstract and cold and urban, I find the site endlessly inspiring. Posts are opened by abstract quotes, seemingly unrelated to the work sometimes, but which add another level to the art.
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| Sarah Schönfeld via but does it float |
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| Hindu architecture from India via but does it float |
Link Storm: Hipster Interiors
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| Via The Brick House |
• Cool light bulbs
• Beautiful interior design at The Brick House
• Really want to do this upholstery DIY
• Loving the interior design in this apartment, and this channel
• Unusual interiors from klaus and heidi
• All kinds of goodness from World Market
• Even more hipster interiors
Healthy food and exercise inspiration
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| via Deliciously Ella |
• Workout routine from The Coveteur
• Loving Women's Health magazine and Pinterest
• UK healthfood wholesalers
• Sesame and vanilla protein balls - really tasty :)
• The New York Times - Well
• Deliciously Ella Recipes
Link Storm : Efficiency at work and in achieving goals
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| Cal Newport on deep work via college info geek |
• Tracking goals with google calendar
• Tim Ferris's 'not to do list', on clear thinking, how to have more output and less overwhelm, and his 'low info diet'
• He seems lovely - Warren Buffett's 10 rules for success
• Inbox zero
Link Storm - Japan and Kawaii
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| via Sanrio |
• Sanrio.com- cute character bits and pieces
•DIY fruit pencil cases
• Lots of old videos about Japan - quite charming
• Make at home Totoro costume
• Not Japanese, but Playmobile are so sweet
Pulp fiction Scifi, weird tales and retro scary stories
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| Via garotasgeeks.com |
I've been going through a big retro pulp fiction phase at the moment. It started off with listening to the audio book of Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse 5' read by Ethan Hawke (who is wonderful as a narrator for this book). Ethan whispers you through the weird story of Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier who gets unstuck in time whilst fighting in the second world war. He also gets taken by aliens as an exhibit for a space zoo and is the sweetest most vague and gentle character.
I loved that audio book. One of the other main characters is a failed pulp fiction scifi writer called Killgore Trout who writes all these classic 50's off the wall stories about space etc. Killgore is the main character of 'Breakfast of Champions' which I listened to next and didn't really like - its too obscene and violent and the main character isnt likeable. (saying that, 'Slaughterhouse 5' was obscene and violent, but not to the same level)
Next I got really interested in H.P Lovecraft, you can find a lot of his audiobooks for free on Youtube by Librevox. I kept seeing on the internet people talking about 'Cthulu' and started googling him and came across 'The call of Cthulu' which is brilliant. I am not the kind of person who likes horror at all but Lovecraft's stories are pretty tame - which I absolutely love. The call of Cthulu reminded me a bit of Bram Stoker's Dracula where the narrator is writing letters, and I liked the themes of historians uncovering lost hyroglyphics and people having strange dreams and ancient aliens from outterspace.
If you do listen to any Lovecraft short stories feel free to play along with my 'Lovecraft Bingo' - If you hear the words eldritch, immemorial, forbidden, deserted, horror or spectral you get a point. You also get a point if there is any mention of archeology, cults, old books or symbols, diaries, aliens, antiquitarians or the Necrocomnicon.
Video wise I have recently found a great youtube channel by comicbookgirl19 and particuarly liked her documentary on Promethius, she has also done a great epic history of the X-men comics. Oliver Harper's youtube channel also has lots of high quality retro reviews with lots of information on cult classic movies you wouldent necessarily know.
Movie wise I watched 'ParaNorman' which was such high quality and hillarious and Tim Burton's 'Sleepy Hollow' which I had never seen. I also watched the original Tron which is really weird and tripy, but worth a watch.
With books I have been reading the short stories of Ray Bradbury recently- another old timer scifi/ weird tales writer.
Link Storm - making me happy
• This is wonderful, Melissa KILLS it -
• This will make you smile. So beautiful - wait for the surprise -
• What a good idea -
I hope that made you smile :)
My Rules of Adulthood
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| A drawing by me for my husband when he was away |
• Don't nag the person you are in love with
• If you ask for help from someone, don't pick holes in the job they do helping you.
• Perfect is the enemy of good
• Give people space to work things out themselves
• Know more than you give away
• Be open minded and challenge your own prejudices and perceptions
• Be open to the unexpected and confusion
• Work hard and be nice to people
• Give people credit
• Be kind and polite
• Give crazy makers a wide berth
• Set up your own boundaries when dealing with people who don't have any
• Have a routine and good habits - this means the boring parts of your life become automated, freeing you up for the fun stuff.
• Don't spend money you don't have
• Relax
• Drink a pint of water when you first wake up - you are groggy because you are dehydrated
• Communicate clearly
• Be punctual and conscientious
• Be aware we are like electrons in a circuit - we will always take the path of least resistance, and so will everyone else, so keep it simple, don't over complicate, and don't try to convince yourself its not true. Are you going to wake up at six to go on that run? Probably not, so factor that in.
• Don't be scared of the type of people that used to scare you back in school, or at least pretend you aren't.
• Keep scrapbooks, journals, mix tapes, diaries, photo albums and a blog - record your joys, passions and thoughts.
• I am now an adult. I am now the boss. Sorry Mum and Dad.
• Think of your body as a large friendly dog you have to take care of - all it wants is to help you and be fed well and exercised - some of us wouldn't mistreat our pets the way we mistreat ourselves.
• On the same note pretend you are your own mother - tell yourself to go to bed on time and take care of yourself and clean your room.
• Don't let people intimidate you or force you to do things you don't want to, walk away and don't get involved with people like that.
• Be aware things tend to over run and cost more and take longer and be harder than you initially think they will. Don't be constantly surprised at this but expect it.
• Always buy/ bring spares.
• Dance, run, swim, listen to music
• Do stupid projects
• Explore and go on adventures.
Link Storm - Graphic Design
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| Via lancewyman.com |
• Interesting interview with graphic designer Michael Bierut and exhibition of Lance Wyman's work - designer of the iconic Mexico 1968 Olympic identity.
• Great patterns over at Wrap
• Interview with the set graphic designer for The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Amazing design studio Glasfurd & Walker
• Stranger and Stranger design - unbelievably good
This week
• Obsessed with Baron Munchausen - I like to watch magical, historical and unreal movies at this time of year.
• Actually put together a menu plan and did my shopping off of it - I feel I levelled up on the adult scale + I actually know what to cook this week now.
• Tried to dye my hair pale purple. Didn't work, then it faded out into a pastel pink/ purple which looks lovely :)
• Listened to some opera and did some Harvard referencing on an essay.
• Favourite word of the week : Commodore.
• Listened to the Anne of Green Gables audio books whilst working - so sweet and lovely (but a little saccharine). I loved this book as a child and was thinking about it recently so was happy to find it on Librevox.
• Watched Pinnocio which I hadn't seen since I was about 6 (and which terrified me at the time). I didn't realise the storyline was so nuts.
• Wanted to watch the 60's / 70's film version of Far from the Maddening Crowd, which is one of my favourite films, and sit and read Sunshine, one of my favourite books, but life got too busy.
• Practised my calligraphy.
Link Storm - Girl Youtubers
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| Via lavendaire.com |
Lavendaire - Positive and thoughtful reflections
Ali Brown -Boho crafts and journaling
Bethany Mota - One of the biggies. Very cute, young and girly
Samantha Maria - Polished and current
Evelina - Fashion, health and life thoughts
Things I am not going to do this week - Scannering out
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| Jon's gluten free bread he baked |
Here's a bunch of stuff my brain kept telling me I needed to do this week:
Write a list of seasonal vegetables for each month, then make menu plans and saved shopping lists of seasonal ingredients on my Tesco profile // Read a page of the French dictionary every day// Listen to French audio books while I tidy the house // Get some machine dye and dye some clothes // Go swimming // make and freeze low sugar/ gluten/ carb snacks for Jon //
Watch more BBC - their production is really good // Watch Last of the Summer Wine // Go to the art shop and get gold ink and lots of nice art materials // Sing more - its good for your mood // I also went through a mini Mariah Carey phase (?) her voice is amazing btw // I decided I liked the words 'Colossus', 'Titan', 'Juggernaut', 'Banshee', and'Siren' and the name 'Sylviane' //
I also wanted to write a blog post about a long term recurring dream I have - I read online that dreams are your brain making sense of things from your day/ life, and recurring dreams come about when your brain can't work something out. Basically I have been having a dream about a situation I have regrets about for a long time, and recently I have had a chance to do something about it - and had the same dream again but with major changes to it - I think that's pretty interesting.
Link Storm - Interiors Inspiration
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| Via Urban Outfitters |
Anthropologie - homewares, I want everything.
Urban Outfitters - also want a house full of stuff from here.
Abigail Ahern - lots of good tips on interior decoration and a good looking site.
DIY - how to make a cool grill basket. Bonus - for me anyway - its in French.
Geode wall paper - yes please.
How to style a desk 3 ways.
Beautiful images from free stock photo sites
So I sometimes need stock photos for my projects. Some of the photos on Pexels and Pixabay are genuinely beautiful / fine art level. You can access whole collections of individual photographers on Pixabay, which is great for consitancy across a project and if you find a particularly good photographer. These Pixabay photographers are my favorites : Snapwiresnaps Unsplash (who also have their own site here) Republica and Stocksnap.
And here are some of my favourites from Pexels:
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| Via Pexels |
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| Via Pexels |
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| Via Pexels |
Things I want to do - Scannering out
If you are not familiar with the concept of what a scanner is then read my post here. It is a concept by Barbara Sheer that has made me understand a lot more about myself. Anyway - here is a list of things I currently have in my 'to-do' list which, as great as they all are, I can't possibly get half of them done. As Terry Prattchet said - to have a mind more open would require surgical intervention. Its a blessing and a curse.
You have to understand, these are all things I came up with in the last week and a half or so. There is only going to be more. I'm not saying any of these things are bad, but they all shout to be done NOW in my head, and that is physically impossible. Here goes:
Take myself out on a date for coffee // Go and see Star wars at the cinema again // Make Jon watch Galaxy Quest // Also go and see Kung-Fu Panda and Goosebumps with Amy // Draw in my sketchbook more // Sell things on ebay // Take another mini break in Bath // Go and see my sister in Cornwall // Go and see my other sister in Devon // Plan a seasonal happiness project with a years worth of seasonal activities and adventures // Blog more // Discover more new music and dance // Buy myself flowers // Initiate 'Art Club' at my house with my art friends on Sunday afternoons and evenings plus wine and a roast as a bonus //
Play Theme Hospital until I win (why was this written on any kind of to-do list?)// Actually make some of the projects I have pinned on Pinterest (yeah right)// Listen to audiobooks in French while I tidy the house or do menial tasks // Get decals made of drawings of birds I have done to stick around my hallway door // Clear off all the files on my old laptop to give to Jon's dad // Do a playlist of Norwegian bands (why ??) // Label the drawers in my office // Sing more // Write a song to help people learn the first 50 numbers of Pi (this seemed like a really good idea at the time - ? I have a friend who has a radio show which he plays lots of weird jingles on).
Make a shelf with my favourite favourite books on (now this is a good idea, but I have been Konmari-ing and in theory all my books should be my favourites. I don't know, I may still do this though.) // Sell designs on Spoonflower and Creative Market // Get an ipad and install Kuuva //
- There is still this amount again written down that I am convincing myself I am going to do.
Link Storm - Oddball Music, Exploration and 60's Psychedelia
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• Finding somewhere strange to go with the Atlas Obscura
• Odd and wonderful - an animation of Tiny Tim's 'living in the sunlight' in a yellow submarine style (which I have never seen and really want to get).
• More 60's style with Qui etes vous Polly Maggoo, (illustrative ending titles, and whole film here.)
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| via Diario Dos Beatles |
Dream Diary - Arabella
I dreamt a seven year old boy went to live with two well-off elderly aunts. Their house was previously the town galleries and gardens, but they had shut it up as a private home, and nobody saw the gardens or the art. There was a tall black wrought iron fence around the gardens, and the plants had grown up high.
A robin used to come into the gardens though, and he would talk to the flowers. There was a white flower called Arabella, and a tall, shy young woman wearing white would come up out of it when the robin would visit, and would talk with him, and walk in the garden.
She was also painted in many of the pictures hung in the gallery, which were sad and mysterious and slowly moved and undulated, and moved into one another. The little boy who lived in the gallery with his aunts used to look at the paintings.
One day a new flower sprang up in the dark gardens. It was a big rough dandelion and intended no good. Up out of the dandelion came a surly old man, who stamped about intimidating the flower people, and he forced shy Arabella back into her white flower, and she was unable to come out.
Weeds and dandelions took over the dark earth, and one day when the little boy went out into the garden, the earth tried to take a hold of him and pull him into it. He shouted for his aunts who ran out into the gardens and flung open the big gates, letting in the healing sunshine on the earth and garden.
A robin used to come into the gardens though, and he would talk to the flowers. There was a white flower called Arabella, and a tall, shy young woman wearing white would come up out of it when the robin would visit, and would talk with him, and walk in the garden.
She was also painted in many of the pictures hung in the gallery, which were sad and mysterious and slowly moved and undulated, and moved into one another. The little boy who lived in the gallery with his aunts used to look at the paintings.
One day a new flower sprang up in the dark gardens. It was a big rough dandelion and intended no good. Up out of the dandelion came a surly old man, who stamped about intimidating the flower people, and he forced shy Arabella back into her white flower, and she was unable to come out.
Weeds and dandelions took over the dark earth, and one day when the little boy went out into the garden, the earth tried to take a hold of him and pull him into it. He shouted for his aunts who ran out into the gardens and flung open the big gates, letting in the healing sunshine on the earth and garden.
Link Storm - loving at the moment
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| Image via Brainpickings |
• Learning about Ikigai
• Yum yum yum, cocktail recipes
• I want to cook and eat all of these The Kitchn recipes - skillet stove top pizza, cucumber, ginger and prosecco sangria, challah bread, zucchini and ricotta roll ups, zucchini parmesan crisps, squash and goats cheese gratin,
• Reading and listening to old Greek and Roman legends. I was Wikipedia-ing the Playstation game 'God of War' and got curious about the original stories. The audio book is particularly easy to listen to.
2016 New Years Resolutions
Well, belated happy New Year to everyone. It doesn't really feel like a new year to me - I had a lot of madness running up to and across Christmas and New Year, and then got sick with a weird tiredness bug which has left me with no energy or motivation to do or think of anything, which is quite unlike me.I have been trying to think of my wishes and goals for 2016 and what kind of resolutions I am going to hold to. Last year my 'read more books' resolution (read more here) brought me a lot of happiness and expanded my imagination and brought a lot of richness to my year - I got a bit obsessed with reading new books, which was fun.
I'm thinking of doing a year-long happiness project a la Gretchen Rubin this year, but am working out the categories for the months, and what I want to do. I have been enjoying listening to French language audio books recently, and reading through the French to English dictionary a bit, and maybe I will do something about that. I also have a big graphic design/ illustration personal project I am really excited by, but it is big and daunting, so I may do that as a year long thing, and chip away at it.
January of my happiness project may just be to get things in order. We have been/are decorating a few rooms in the house, meaning the furniture and stuff from those rooms is pushed into the hall and everywhere else, and there are paint cans and brushes everywhere. Post Christmas holiday everything is upside down also because we kept having people over and going away, and Ive lost track of basic things like where my tweezers have gone etc. etc. To get the house decorated and tidy and get back my energy so I can think ahead a bit more would probably be the best thing I could do.
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