Saturday, July 26, 2014

Some info for you and a small request from me...

Split, Croatia :: summer 2010

Just a quick note to say that I have finally updated my "About Me" page so please do have a click and a peek if you're interested.

Whilst we're on admin mode, could you do me a small favour? If you wouldn't mind and if it isn't too narcissistic of me to ask, could you please leave me a little comment below saying which types of posts you enjoy most on this blog and what you would like to see more of?

You see, pretty soon I won't have anywhere near as much time on my hands and I'd like to know which types of things I should prioritise for this online space and which can just be scribbled into a notebook.

And whilst you're here, why don't you tell me how your week has been?

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

52 Lists // Thirty


Difficult to write a list like this without sounding too big-headed... However, I am taking it as an opportunity to think about the things that matter to me about myself so as to go forward prioritising those qualities and making the mark I would like to leave or at least what I think I am leaving.

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List #30 in the 52 Lists project, hosted by Emma.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

52 Lists // Twenty-nine


The word "favourite" is something I really associate with my childhood. I have countless notebooks filled with lists of my "favourite" things, updated monthly, yearly, whenever I wanted to record a change (or lack of) in my life. Almost like my taking stock posts, I suppose. Anyway, what this association has meant for this list is that I've reverted back to naming books that I probably mentioned on some of these lists from however many years ago, such as "Kensuke's Kingdom" and "Noughts and Crosses". I think this was partly inspired by Jess' post on books which changed her. I think "Noughts and Crosses" is definitely a book that falls into that category - all about equality and love - or at least something that reflects themes that feature strongly in my life these days. Ultimately, my favourite books aren't necessarily ones I have read many times over, rather those that I could turn to at any point and read over and over and extract the same personal meaning and movement as the first time.

What are your favourite books, why and how long ago did you read them?

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This is List #29 in the 52 Lists project, hosted by Emma.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Taking Stock #10

Sun setting over Richmond

T A K I N G // S T O C K

Making :: words that weren't good enough to win Bananagrams...ahhh!

Cooking :: little, eating out more
Drinking :: champagne, Pimms, squash & lemonade/Fanta combinations
Reading :: "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Wanting :: the holiday to arrive quickly but then go by reallllyyyyyyyy slooooowwwwwwlllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy
Looking :: for somewhere to live
Playing :: Bananagrams, Balderdash, Articulate
Deciding :: to worry less...
Wishing :: for the same thing as always
Enjoying :: time
Waiting :: for medical things to sort themselves out
Liking :: SUMMER
Wondering :: if the next couple of months are going to go as quickly as I am dreading 
Loving :: importing breathing techniques from Pilates/yoga into everyday life
Pondering :: how
Considering :: what to keep up and when
Watching :: Wimbledon, the World Cup (despite disliking football usually)
Hoping :: for a bit of a miracle really

Marvelling :: how much of an impact one person can really make in changing attitudes and where society goes from here i.e. Laura Bates
Needing :: a stronger back
Smelling :: Aussie shampoo
Wearing :: summer dresses!
Following :: adventures on some lovely favourite blogs, such as Sallytangle, Beside the Danube and Life Outside London 
Noticing :: little changes
Knowing :: that there's not long to go
Thinking :: about a million things all at once
Feeling :: collected in the eye of many storms
Admiring :: Laura Bates
Sorting :: holiday prep
Buying :: accommodation for the trip, summer clothes, many meals out
Getting :: closer
Bookmarking :: this video about "make-up", this article about a girl's amazing work experience discovery, Megs' beautiful photo-shoot and this article highlighting where women's speech stands in social situations
Disliking :: weakness
Opening :: windows and doors on account of the sunshine
Giggling :: pretty much all night at the Law summer ball
Snacking :: on fruit
Coveting :: Airbnb places...
Helping :: out with food shops
Hearing :: Chet Faker, James Vincent McMorrow, London Grammar, Chvrches

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Are you also taking stock? Find previous editions here and the original source here.

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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Sunday Round-up with a difference


I am writing this in advance so I actually can't tell you what I've been doing this week. Not much a round-up then is it you might be thinking... You would be right.

Except I can tell you one thing...if you are reading this then that means I am currently sitting somewhere extremely sunny in Spain, with a plane to catch this evening again to the next destination. I would expect that I have already eaten a fair bit of paella, acquired browner shoulders and made at least a million embarrassing mistakes with my attempts at speaking Spanish.

I'll be here for a little while, hopefully giving my batteries a thoroughly-needed recharge. In the meantime, if there's anywhere in northern Spain you believe I must visit without fail, then do drop me an e-mail or tweet (see my Contact page) or leave a comment below.

Sending you all the happiest of Sunday wishes.

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Friday, July 11, 2014

52 Lists // Twenty-eight


A lot of things are out of my control so I don't often dream about personal things for my future any more. I feel like I've got to a stage in my life now where the things I used to dream about when I was younger are things that are within my grasp should I want them. That's a comforting feeling but perhaps it's made possible because the things I dream of aren't extravagant wishes after all. The other things I'm after are out of my hands and heartbreakingly so.

So to me it makes much more sense to dream about the wider picture and plant devices and gestures into my own life to work towards getting to those dreams, step by step. I'm pretty sure I'm incapable of achieving any of the things on the list above single-handedly but my hope is that they are also the dreams of many others and if we all make small changes and have conversations to lead to these changes, then perhaps we'll get there eventually.

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This is List #28 in the 52 Lists project run by Emma.

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Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Thoughts and revelations inspired by the Nokia Lumia 1520







20 mega pixels is a lot to be carrying around in my handbag, let alone for something sizing up similarly to the length of my face. This has meant that I have wanted to photograph everything with a little itch telling me to do it properly - don't use such a crisp, sharp, beautiful screen to take any old rubbish. So I made a concerted effort to capture little bits of my days in the last couple of weeks that I thought were special, even if mostly for simple reasons. But you know, we're all advocates of the small things here anyway.

As phones go, this is pretty hefty dimensions-wise. I don't think I could fit it comfortably in my pockets without fear of it falling out or getting damaged, and it is slightly too big and thin to hold when taking photos from certain angles etc. However, the huge screen is something which I think I am going to struggle getting used to NOT having. I used to be mesmerised by the colours my iPhone 4 displays but I have been seriously blown away by how stunning the screen on this phone is.

For photography purposes, it is an exciting gadget to be handling and I don't know if it is because it is summer and all my photos seem to feature wonderful, natural light, but I really enjoyed snapping away on this. It has also aided my transition to filming to document, as opposed to just jotting down thoughts in my notebook/iPhone notes. Documenting or wanting to take photos of lots of things can sometimes feel as though you are taking the magic out of the moment, but with a device as thin as this, filming with it or snapping something quickly doesn't feel like as much of a disturbance because it kind of removes the barrier between the real world and camera.

A few more pros :: as a Windows phone, you can easily create/edit/view Office documents; the Nokia Cinemagraph feature is a fun, creative feature; transitions between pages/photos/screens are very smooth; easy to sync with computer; allows import of iTunes

A few more cons :: navigation takes a little getting used to; tricky to hold sometimes on account of its size/thinness; no physical button on front of phone (only sides); editing photos/videos tricky/not as slick as it could be; feeling a little silly using it for the phone feature on the go.

Sometimes things come along which help you out in ways you didn't really imagine. Recently, my corner of the web has been a little quieter and more subdued than it would usually be; it has been in need of a creative re-jig and encouragement. The Nokia Lumia 1520 has propelled the way I document everyday thoughts and images into a format I am finding more meaningful and regardless of whether those videos and photographs will ever make it to the web, it has made me think more carefully about projects I want to pursue and how I present my life. There we have it - a piece of technology which has inadvertently made an impact on my creative efforts. Who'd have thought it?! Nice work, Nokia.




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All images except the first in this post (and this one and this one) were captured on the Nokia Lumia 1520. I must say a huge thank you to the team for letting me play.

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Sunday, July 06, 2014

Sunday Round-up









This week, I have been...

Listening to :: Chet Faker - goodness me, this was the perfect antidote to a weird old day I was having earlier this week. The kind of thing you want on loud, with nobody else around so you can just fall into the beats and soul-nourishing waves, and feel.

Meeting :: a role model of mine - Laura Bates. I've written before about my admiration for her and how important her work is - you can find it here.

Eating :: sushi, katsu curry, pancakes, burgers, sweet potato

Watching :: tennis and football on television

Celebrating :: 250 Bloglovin' followers - thank you ever so much

Playing :: around with the awesome camera on the Nokia Lumia 1520 I've been sent to try. Photos above were taken on this.

Recording :: a few videos which may never make it to the online world but which will hopefully be of interest to myself years down the line.

Buying :: the last bits and bobs for my trip :)

Sharing :: this video with lots of people - I know it isn't new but it seems to have made its way into most conversations I've had this week. How does she manage to keep her cool?!

Tell me your favourite thing that happened this week.

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Wednesday, July 02, 2014

52 Lists // Twenty-seven


That pretentious attempt at pretending to be good at writing in fun fonts is supposed to say "Things in my bag right now" - just in case you were unsure! Pretty self-explanatory this one. Always heavy and usually including a book as well - I'd taken it out to complement my "don't move from the sofa" evening. I'm reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell - it's about first impressions and making decisions based on gut instinct and how it is okay to trust those feelings we get, even if they haven't been logically/rationally thought through. Isn't that a scary thought? The author argues that these decisions are often the best decision in any case, yet we haven't agonised over the pros and cons or our opinions haven't formed over a period of time. I think I am very much guided by my gut instincts but it would seem that that is not uncommon given that we are all so superb at it. There, I've just highlighted a talent you may not have even realised you had.

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This is part of the 52 Lists project, hosted by Emma at Made in Hunters. Please share your links with me if you are also taking part and even if you aren't, let me know your answers below!

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