Birthday, christmas gifts and new year (and why i'm rubbish at things)

I'm quite indifferent as to whether I receive christmas or birthday gifts or not, but this year, I got a few bits and bobs (as well as a new dslr camera from my mum that I used for these photos!) but mostly a whole bundle of stuff from lovely Adam and they were all so beautiful.

(I hope you appreciate the cringey floor arrangement) I got a set of really nice storage boxes, "Nowhere belongs here more than you" by Miranda July, a set of short stories by Vladimir Nabokov and Chuck Palahniuk, "This book will change your life" (might do an individual post about this - it sets you a task to do every day of the year) Life Aquatic, Moonrise Kingdom and Searching For Sugarman on dvd as well as a special edition Twin Peaks boxset (!!!!) An Anna Karina bookmark and polaroid, a beret, a lolita tote bag, some makeup from MAC (courtesy of my mum's friend who works in Selfridges) a jewelry holder and lots and lots of candles - only about a third of them are on show!

Some more things : A Jean-Luc Godard bag, a lovely framed stitchwork picture from a neighbour, the rookie yearbook and I thought I'd include my film studies production diary that I made and a little 1970's book on flowers from the british museum I found in a charity shop.

Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian, The year of hibernation by Youth Lagoon, Hospice by The Antlers, Too young to be in love by Hunx and his Punx, Psycho Candy by The Jesus And Mary Chain (have been wanting that for far too long) and Bryter Layter by Nick Drake.

I had a bit of a twin peaks related christmas too, the log lady necklace made me smile for ages. (Audrey + Agent Dale Cooper Necklace, log lady necklace and ADC hair slides all from etsy.)

Also, found this pretty romper  from a charity shop a few weeks ago for about £3 and i'm a little bit in love with it. It still needs to be made a little tighter around the chest though.

Christmas was terribly quiet but some friends came round and helped make dinner and I ate a little too much and ended up sleeping half of the day away. I spent new year in London and we went for pre-drinks in Chelsea first and watched fireworks. We then went to this warehouse/squat party (walked around two miles to get there after getting off at Embankment tube station and forgetting that post firework events meant that the centre of London was going to resemble a war torn country.)
The party was nice, although I had to leave early in the morning, minus catching some cold virus, I had a beautiful sleep!

(I've been looking for some lacey/silky cute underwear sets as well, and i've looked on places like Etsy, but I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for anywhere else that's relatively cheap and ships to the UK?)


(previous four pictures all from Tumblr)

I've also realised how rubbish I've been
at posting much, but I've been bombarded with coursework these weeks (oldest excuse in the book but hey ho)
Anyway,
hope your all enjoyed New Years and all the best for 2013! Also a very happy 66th to David Bowie for a few days ago. My brother bought me his biography and i'm unable to put it down. Can't wait for the new album release!

I've returned to the world of blogging.

The last time I posted was in April, which makes me feel as if my levels of creativity have decreased since then. (And they really have.) Seeing as it's getting chilly, staying indoors and making things and dancing on my own in my bedroom and writing self depreciating blog posts seems far more appealing than braving the frost (?)

I've had the most beautiful Summer imaginable, filled with outdoor parties, caravans, making beautiful new friendships, rekindling friendships, lots of gigs, short romances, new experiences and I even went through a period of  thinking I could actually put a label on my feelings. I don't think I spent more than three consecutive days at home from June until to end of August. Although now, I look back on it and imagine myself skipping along in a Barney The Friendly Dinosaur sort of fashion, I think that it was more of a confidence boost and an opportunity to express myself outwardly.

Now it's Winter, and perhaps when the seasons change, my moods change too. Admittedly, I sometimes indulge in spending days in bed with cold peppermint tea on my bedside table, with a look on my face that says "I'm really glum, but I'm actually really comfortable with feeling this bad." But sometimes, my eagerness to actually do something far more creative and productive rather than hedonistic usually stems from a really terrible mood, so there. 

Hanging out with Iggy Pop - How to have a lovely night in

You've spent your day doing absolutely nothing productive, perhaps you've done a bit of that work you've been putting off for weeks, but then you give up after helplessly staring at it for over half an hour. You can't be bothered to answer the door or your phone and the comfort of your bed is the only appealing place . Your friends are out tonight, it's not even raining and you're in the middle of england and that's almost a miracle, but you're stuck at home with seemingly nothing to do. You are probably left feeling like a miserable, angsty teen. You mutter to yourself as you remember that time you couldn't handle a few shots of vodka and coke and all of a sudden you're kind of glad to be alone on a Wednesday night.

If, like me,  there have been many a night where it's 11pm and it finally hits you that your friends are rubbish and that you're going to die alone, *~*~fear not~*~ for this post is about

  How-to-have-a-wonderful-night-in-on-your-own-doing-happy-things-and-feeling-really-nice

Ingredients:

1. Lots of blankets and cushions and chairs and stuff to make a den. Drape quilts over chairs and prop pillows up inside your den, light some candles and grab a book. Pretend you're in The Dreamers,  acquire yourself two french siblings and voila, happiness is sure to follow.

2. A stack of dvd's to watch. I'd recommend Harold And Maude, A Bout De Souffle, Annie Hall, Me And You And Everyone We Know, The Darjeeling Limited, most girly 90's film will be suitable too or anything by Michael Gondry (not the green lantern though-errrgh) and Lars Von Trier (Antichrist, if you're brave.) 

note: don't watch things like Submarine or Lost In Translation, unless you want to be left in a teary eyed heap on the floor.

I love you too, Woody Allen. I thought I'd include this picture to cheer you up xoxo

3.  Just watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show and see your troubles disappear.

4. Some records, some paper, pens and some paint. I like to put on The Idiot by Iggy in those half-sleepy hours of the morning where you feel really weird. Put on loads of good records that you can sink into, something like Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine will do. Then go grab a pen and scribble down something really meaningless and don't stop writing until you feel you've vented enough. Alternative: paint something that is probably a bit silly and that doesn't require much thought. Just go for it.

5. Have a really long bath. Baths are really wonderful and they never fail to cheer me up. Again, the french siblings could enhance this. 

6. Lots of your nans/mums neglected clothes. Play dress up! I honestly still wear my mums 80's jumpsuits and feel like those really bad barbie dolls I used to have that had loads of pairs of legwarmers and stuff. 

7. Glitter. Put it around mirrors, in your hair, on your face, just sprinkle that shit everywhere and prepare to be ~fabulous~

8. Sing really loudly and bed surf to 60's garage music. Works like a charm!

9. Drink lots of peppermint tea, eat lots of bakewell tarts, make some macaroons (the recipe is here) watch Marie Antoinette and put your hair in a really big bun and put feathers in it.

10. Write a really long letter to an imaginary lover. Imagine you're Zelda Fitzgerald. Then fold it up and hide it away somewhere and be prepared to read it back in a few weeks time and cringe.

11. Watch Peep Show, Arrested Development, Black Books or The Young Ones.

12.  Go around your house with a torch and a video camera and go ghost hunting. Pretending to be Derek Acorah from Most Haunted or something.

13. If worst comes to worst and you're still left feeling a bit glum and lonesome, force your friends to spend time with you via a series of death threats.