A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I've had a pretty challenging week as weeks go. Lots of personal stuff going on and change left right and centre, I do think these events are causing me to get more used to change though and that should be a good thing. Change aside, I have been able to still be productive and keep my head above water.  Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Museums_________________________________________________________________________

Emily and I had the weekend off together and that never happens, so we decided to make it special and actually leave the house. We decided to go to the local museum in our town with two other friends and we had the best day. We took everything in and dressed up and took so many photos, my favourite part of the museum is the observatory, there's an artificial sky with stars and rain noises and it's so relaxing. It was nice to leave the house on a day off, although it wasn't too faraway, it's sometimes nice to check out the local places. I also now know many things about the Roman Empire and the Gladiators, interesting guys they were, a lot of blood and violence tho'. My new aim is to play a gig in that observatory, the acoustics are a dream. 

Doughnut Peaches_________________________________________________________________

Nothing like the signs of summer than a six pack of doughnut peaches for sale in Lidl. I can eat a whole pack of these things in a day, what can I say? They're delicious and juicy and much nicer than a normal peach in my opinion, I don't know why, maybe it's cause they're flatter and more practical to eat. I don't know man.. peaches, that's all. 

Lungs on Vinyl____________________________________________________________________

After a whole week of listening to Florence back to back in preparation for her new album, I found out that Lungs might be my favourite album of all time. I remember when I was 15 and it came out and it changed my life and how I think about music and making music as whole. This album gives me so much inspiration and is probably the main inspo for the EP I'm making hype, hype,hype. I just love her and I forgot how good her early sound was. So there was only one thing to do, purchase it on vinyl and soak up all the harp sounds and dark, echoing lyrics. Also the artwork inside is a dream, this definitely had to happen, my vinyl collection feels a little bit more complete now. 

How was your Monday?

          

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I've had a much more chilled week compared to the last. Managed to gather my thoughts a little, setting myself some new intentions and taking in the beautiful weather around me. I feel much more myself this week after last, definitely. I also played a really lovely gig that has ignited my passion back for songwriting after last week which is really nice, I still feel like I'm on the right path my dudes! Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Bad Films ________________________________________________________________________

Hear me out okay. My housemates and I gathered in the living room to watch a film while we ate our tea and Charlotte chose a film called 'The Kissing Booth' it looked like a teenage rom-com similar to Angus Thongs and we were in need of some easy going comedy. Popped it on and after around 10 minutes, we realised this was a terrible film. You may think 10 minutes is a quick judgement but honestly the first scene was garbage. Instead of turning it off however, we ripped it to shit. It was a true bonding experience, criticising the plot and complete integrity of this film. We found it highly misogynistic and therefore a terrible choice of script for an impressionable teenage audience. It was so bad however that it was laughable, almost on the level of Sharknado, if you know, you know. We ended up crying with laughter over the whole thing and that in itself was entertaining enough. Didn't finish it though, did we hell it was utter trash. If you want a good laugh at something made with no self-awareness, give it a watch, but of course I wouldn't recommend. 

Biggest Weekend___________________________________________________________________

We all know I love a good festival. And although it made me sad that I couldn't attend, I still enjoyed catching up on all the footage from this weekends BBC event. I loved the diversity of all the acts in all the different places, I'm actually watching Father John Misty perform straight after watching Taylor Swift's set right now. Also can we talk about Florence, I'm so bloody excited for that new album, I have no words apart from; ethereal, pink and skipping. Makes me super excited for festival season to start!

_________________________________________________________________________________

How was your Monday?

         

    

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! It's been a busy ol' week, getting back to a working routine and on top of that, a lot of late nights playing gigs. Honestly I'm glad my job doesn't really require me to think too hard, I've been sleep walking through this week! I've been told at work that I don't stop, because I have so much to do in the evenings, but we all know; that's the way I like it. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week: 

Dear White People_________________________________________________________________

I watched the film about a year ago and loved it and I can't believe it's taken me this long to start the tv show. But after a week I'm completely hooked and am already halfway through season 2. It's so clever and aware and educational, but it's also so, so hilarious. I just love the kind of comedy. And the plot is brilliant, I was wondering how they would carry the story on after the film but the tv show has really allowed the production team to expand existing characters stories and introduce us to new ones. Everybody should totally give this a watch when it next pops up on Netflix, it doesn't disappoint. 

Happy Place ______________________________________________________________________

I've been trying to get into podcasts for so bloody long and I can't believe it took me an insta post with Fearne Cotton and Stephen Fry to get me into them, but here we are. I started listening to Happy Place this week and it has been the perfect companion to my morning routine. My favourite so far is definitely the SF one, they get into a very knowledgeable and intimate conversation about mental health and Stephen's work with the charity Mind. I think I'm finally joining the podcast bandwagon, it's about bloomin' time!

Deadpool II_______________________________________________________________________

We decided to go to the cinema on a whim this week, I always forget that I now live in a city and there's a cinema right around the corner, I definitely need to go more. We decided to go to the opening night of DP2, I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be as good or funny but it was still as hilarious and as appalling as the first one, with a surprisingly thick plot and some equally surprising twists along the joy ride that is Ryan Reynolds's stream of conscious. Also the sound track was amazing and not in a 'we're doing the same as GOTG' kind of way, Dolly Parton should always be a firm choice for an action scene that's all I'm saying. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

A very media based Monday. 

How was yours?

        

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! On the week that brought us that debatable Arctic Monkeys album, I also celebrated my birthday. A full album review may come soon because I have opinions. Anyway, this week has been lovely and pretty chill if you don't count the mindless dancing around in circles and countless gin, oops. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

GenderQuake_____________________________________________________________________

My friends and I watched this all in one night. It's such a good program and so, so important. If anyone's not too sure what it is, it basically revolves around a Big Brother concept where people share a house for 2 weeks and get to know each other. The difference being is that the house is occupied with gender-fluid, transgender, non-binary and more of the LGBTQ+ community. Also there are cis people there too and this social situation was fascinating to watch, it was altogether a really wholesome and uplifting program, but it did contain some unnecessary drama that I hope had really opened people's eyes to handling certain situations surrounding the trans community. Everyone I know has watched this program, including my mum and that's so refreshing and hopeful to see these things being discussed on a form of mainstream media like channel 4. There are only two episodes and I really hope they make more in the future, loved it. 

Cat______________________________________________________________________________

On Tuesday we became babysitters. Angie the adorable lil' pawed, fluff balled feline came to stay with us! Our friends cat needed looked after for the day and even though I did have work, I did get to spend some time with her and I can't believe how much an animal in the house makes it feel more like a home. She is crazzyyy and only a kitten, we basically felt like run down grandparents when our friends came to pick her up but she was so much fun and I hope she gets to stay here a lot more. I wanna kittyyyy! 

Eurovision________________________________________________________________________

The 12th of May always marks a special day for me because of two reasons; the first being it's the day before my Birthday and I love birthdays -it's the taurus in me, ask any of my friends- The second being it's time to get royally fucked up on '12 points go to..' shots, shots shots. My party this year was as wonderful and as crazy as the ones before, my countries; Norway and Ireland didn't do too well, which I'm kind of glad about because those shots were deadly. But I am proud to say that my very, very good friend Elinor won Eurovision for a second time and was indeed very, very euro-visioned, proud of you El! I think this is about the 5th party now and they're not getting old yet, bring on next year where I'll hopefully choose better countries, also sorry to my neighbours, the sing-songs must have been hella' annoying. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

How was your Monday?

             

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! Apologies for not being around last week, the days just seemed to slip away and before I knew it, it was Sunday already! I'm hoping this week will go slower though because it's my birthday week and I have a whole lotta' celebrating to do! Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

HUJI app_________________________________________________________________________

Like everyone and their mother on Instagram -literally my mum loves this thing- is now using this app and I think I am a little late to the party but I can't get enough of it. It's literally an app that works like a disposable or 35mm film camera, every photo you take is different and it allows you to experiment with exposure and light leaks. I do think it is a bit gimmicky and I understand that photographers are pulling their hair out over this app, but it's just so fun and the  a e s t h e t i c  is so darn pleasing. It's also giving my insta theme a new lease of life, I might be over using it but I'm having fun darn it and I just love the effects this app makes. I guess we've all travelled back to 1998, what a time to be alive. 

Zozaleenie _______________________________________________________________________

I have a new favourite youtuber and she's bloody great. Zoe's videos are a mixture of everything and when I watch them I find myself wondering how one human can be so multi-talented! Honestly she writes music, sings, draws, paints, does gymnastics and is just a lil beaming ray of sunshine and watching her live her life through her videos gives me endless motivation and positive vibes, especially whilst the sun shines outside. 

Aggretsuko_______________________________________________________________________

Picture the scene. My flatmates and I are lying on our sofas after a pretty long night of gin and dancing. We have just finished yet another season of Ru Paul's drag race and our sleepy eyes are opened by an automatic trailer. The trailer contains clips of a lil, cute red panda skipping and then the next moment, there's screamo music playing and the whole screen goes red. We sit up, transfixed. Emily exclaims 'what the hell was that', Charlotte turns her head with a smile and says 'let's find out'. We watch all ten episodes in a day, this show is life changing. It's basically exactly what I described, the plot revolves around this lil, awkward, relatable red panda who hates her job and has a misogynistic boss. Her cathartic way of emotional based coping is to head to a karaoke bar and sing songs in the heavy metal genre. It's as crazy and mental as it sounds, but it's so, so good. Absolutely hilarious and probably one of the weirdest things you've every seen. If you too are hungover and in need of some light, relieving, Japanese cartoon animals singing heavy metal, this show is made for you. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

How was your Monday?

        

       

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! It hasn't even been a hot minute, it's been a hot month? 2 months? I don't know. What I do know is that this month has been stressful af, but really, really good things have come out of it. I've moved house, back to my fave place for the summer, it just made a lot of sense for work and our current situations. Got a lil' flat with two of my favourite people in the world, the flat is adorable and we even have a balcony, I really am living my best life. I have missed this lil blog though and I'm going to try and appear here more often. I think it's because I've been so busy with my music and my brand, spanking new Youtube channel, video editing takes a lot of time, although I'm finding it so fun. I've recently found that you can't make time for everything and expect it to be at the same standard, so I'm focusing all my skills on one thing right now, the thing that gives me the most joy, something that I can maybe make a career out of at some point. I will certainly be a round on this blog more though because as I'm typing on my clickity-clackity keyboard on my brand, spanking new sofa in my flat with a balcony; I'm realising how much I've missed writing. Now, where were we? Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Moving __________________________________________________________________________

On the Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale moving house is number 32 on situations that add stress. And I definitely think the guys behind that study were pretty right, because I was well stressed. Only for a few days though packing is not my forte, but now I am almost completely adjusted and don't feel like I'm living in an air bnb anymore, it's really starting to feel like home. I'm not going to lie, moving back in with my parents after uni was stressful and sad for me because I am very effected by my environment and I like to have my own space. It's also wonderful to have my own independence again, not having to get the bus if I want to go anywhere and the fact that there's a Lidl right around the corner. It's also amazing to have friends so close and to be able to live with two of my fave gals, this summer is going to be amazing! Plus we have a balcony, did I mention we have a balcony?

That's all that's going on at the moment and the main thing that has definitely given me the most happiness this past week/month. I'm so excited to be getting back into a proper routine and getting used to this new lease of life and creativity. I have a lot planned for this summer and I can't wait to get started. Blog posts might be few and far between and Monday posts may appear on Wednesdays but it's not what I'm focusing on right now. If you want to see where I'm posting regularly and recently, my youtube channel is much more active and exciting, hopefully. I feel on top of the world right now and my environment and productivity definitely reflects that! 

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! Wow I can't believe it's Wednesday already and I haven't managed to get this post up, although I do have a valid excuse. Editing videos is hard man, takes up a lot of time and effort but I'm so pleased I've posted my second video on my youtube channel now, phew. Also it was my mums birthday this week and I've been savouring a well needed catch up with friends. But now it's time to get back to this week and before I can do that, lets talk about the one that just passed. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Snow Day_________________________________________________________________________

So on Tuesday, the UK woke up to a mysterious white substance covering the whole of the country, no it wasn't an alien invasion -although some people made it seem like one- It snowed a lottle', which meant that the UK came to a standby and there was no bread left in the supermarkets. I couldn't go to work because all the buses had stopped and we could just barely get up the drive! So I enjoyed my day filming and relaxing and doing not a lot because I thought, if the universe is giving us a sign to slow down, I'm fo' sho' gonna take it! Also everything looked so pretty and I was desperate to take my camera outside -I was even thinking of filming a cover in the snow- but alas it was just too cold for my little handies and after our neighbours horse escaped and I spent my evening running around a stable in the freezing cold, I wasn't up to a snow-photoshoot surprisingly. Ahh country living!

Queer Eye________________________________________________________________________

So while the UK came to a stand still, Netflix provided us with a gift, in the shape of 5 fabulous men and their TV show. I am obsessed with this program. Don't get me wrong it's not perfect and I have read some things (mostly on twitter) about the lack of inclusivity and all this; but can we talk about the good things about this program for a second. It deconstructs prejudices on both sides and that is difficult to do, especially in a reality show with this kind of structure. It also views men as vulnerable and does not hide the fact they have feelings, basically the whole program is about those feels! It's just an all round well thought together program, that doesn't patronise the participants -like Gok or Trinny and Susanna remember them?- but it allows them to find confidence in themselves by only doing the bare minimum thing to start their journey. I just love it and it's the perfect feel-good show the world needs right now. A bit more inclusivity would be great though pals. Also I haven't cried at it yet and I only have to two more episodes to go, am I human, am I a monster?

The Assasination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story ______________________________

I found out that Ryan Murphy's new drama is being shown on BBC 2 this year and me and mum sat down to watch it and oh my god it's amazing! Now I haven't seen the The People vs OJ Simpson but I imagine it's very similar because as always he loves to use similar casting and crew etc. I was immediately hooked to the storyline and Darren Criss plays the main character splendidly, with just the right amount of subtle madness. Now, as always I do watch things with my psychology head on and I have noticed that Murphy's productions (American Horror Story) do not help with the breaking down the stigma of mental illness, he does like to use it as an accessory to tell a story and on the way, demonises the characters struggling with it. But it all comes down to this argument again of the value of entertainment, but I do understand that this is based on real events and dramatising it this way could be damaging. I've only seen the first episode, maybe it'll get better in that retrospect but for anyone who has seen the latest AHS I'm not sure. This is my new favourite TV show though, the first episode was explosive and I am already in love with the high fashion aesthetic-meets real world gore and reality. And I've just realised the second episode will be aired tonight, if you haven't watched it yet, catch up on demand, if you're a fan of AHS or you just love a crime story, you wont be disappointed!

All the Films ______________________________________________________________________

I have recently had the pleasure of watching sooo many films. Almost all the Oscar nominations have been watched. And although I'm going to do another tiny reviews post soon, I'll just say that a lot of these films have now hurtled their way up to my list of top-ten favourite films of all time, good going. There are just a lot of talented people around at the moment, telling amazing, important stories. 

How was your Monday? -we're pretending it's not Wednesday-

  

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! It's been another busy week, I can't believe the weather, we were so close to spring and now there's snow! But I'm not complaining, I love cold winter sunsets like this one. I also can't believe February is nearly over, after such a long January it feels like I blinked and it's almost March! Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Black Panther_____________________________________________________________________

Last weekend I was lucky enough to see this amazing film on it's first showing at my local cinema. Honestly this film, I expected it to be amazing but it turned out to be astounding! Every single frame was just so beautiful, the colours, the culture, the effects. You can tell this film has been a very long time in the making and its message is not at all subtle, but so, so important. Also the soundtrack man, Kendrick did an amazing job, the heavy base and catchy licks really suited the films aesthetic, so, so empowering. I would definitely recommend this as a cinema watch, you need dat quality in your life. Also this film deserves your full attention, on the big screen, the way important films like this are meant to be consumed. 

Youtube__________________________________________________________________________

So this week I finally bit the bullet and made a Youtube channel for my music. My first video is nothing special, just a cover of one of my favourite Wombats songs. I'm really pleased with it and I think it's just a natural and organic step from this blog and for my music. I'm really excited about this next step and if you wish to follow along with me, you can subscribe and hopefully watch my editing skills get better because let me tell you they need some work! Got to start somewhere though. I'll leave a link to the video and my channel bellow, much music, much excite. 

 

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I've been very busy with the music this week but I'm so happy I'm still finding time to blog. There are many posts that I'm wanting to write that aren't just Monday posts but they require a lot more effort y'know, but watch this space, exciting things are happening at the moment! Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week: 

Everything Sucks __________________________________________________________________

No that isn't just a casual statement from me bout' life; this is the new tv series I've been watching on Netflix. I think it's only been out for a week, but I appear to have binge watched almost all of it already. The show is set in a 90's American highschool and follows a group of nerdy kids and their hilarious and cringey endeavours and there are also enough pop culture references to challenge Stranger Things. It's just very feelgood and an easy  watch for late evenings, the characters are so warming and relatable, especially the adults in the show, I just want to give them all a hug. Also if I was in a highschool I would totally be in the AV club, drama club is too high maintenance for me man. 

Winter Olympics__________________________________________________________________

My mum and I have been enjoying sitting down each evening and watching people hurl themselves around in the snow. There's something more exciting about the winter olympics I feel, maybe it's the added risk to it all or just the fact that everything is white and the aesthetic is  s t r o n g. I myself have been thoroughly enjoying the ice skating and you know how influenced I get by things? Well I now want to be a professional figure skater, so there's that -I don't think a 5ft7 giraffe would do well on ice really but she can dream- Also it really makes me want to take off and go on a skiing holiday, everyone's sat here ready for summer and I'm having visions of icy tundras and hot chocolates and I believe the olympics is partly to blame for this! Oh well I'll have to wait another 4 years soon enough, so I better enjoy it now! 

Ready Player One__________________________________________________________________

My good friend Tom leant me this book the other day and I have only just started reading it (sorry Tom) I'm on chapter 2 now but I already know that I'm going to love this book. It's got everything I love: post-dystopia, 80's pop culture and caravans. I'm hoping I can get through this book just in time for the film release and then I can really wrap myself up into this universe and hopefully enjoy a really good comparison to the novel and the film plot. So far it's amazingly written and so immersive, I'm sure there will be a full review here soon, at some point, maybe. 

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! It's been another busy week, settling into my new job and with new jobs comes new routines. I've always been one for routines and I'm so happy I have one that I can stick to again. This new job is great so far and still giving me time to focus on other important things like music and friends. Work hard, play hard and all that, here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Secret Life of 5 Year Olds: All Girls __________________________________________________

This week marked the 100th anniversary of when certain women were granted the right to vote for the first time. Although not all women, very far from it; it still is something to celebrate because these certain suffragettes started it all, got the ball rolling as it were. To celebrate channel 4 decided to broadcast a special episode for one of my favourite programs The Secret Life of 4 and 5 Year Olds where they only featured and focused on girls. It was so, so interesting to see how they all interacted and how deep routed gender stereotypes actually are in our society. But also it was really uplifting, these little girls are so tuned in and it's so, so refreshing to see this generation interact with each other so positively. From a psychological perspective, we still have a long way to go with how we treat women in society, a lot of the things they were saying were eye opening. But boy was it amazing to watch them negotiate politics and even talk intelligently about the patriarchy!  It was very gently done and although I am not the biggest fan of children, their development is still incredibly important and we must protect these lil' beans from this terrifying society, although they seem to be doing that pretty well by themselves. 

Cavetown_________________________________________________________________________

I came across a pretty well known Youtube musician this week. Someone I hadn't heard of before. His voice stopped me in my tracks and the lyrics to this song captured me and still haven't let me go. Cavetown is the right balance of quirky and poignant and after watching this incredibly clever music video, I decided to listen to his whole album -which is amazing and on spotify- Basically Robbie made me feel so inspired because he is doing exactly what I want to do and achieving everything I hope to achieve this year. Also he's just a lovely lil' bean and his chameleon is hella' cute. Go and listen to his new single Lemon Boy if you haven't already heard it, the music video is 10/10. 

Berets____________________________________________________________________________

I have short hair now and that means I get to wear more hats -not that you can't wear hats with long hair, but you get what I mean- I've owned an oversized grey beret for a while now and although I do love it, it is pretty big, like it takes up half of my forehead, v floppy, good for when hungover and want to hide face. However I was still yet to join the ultimate beret bandwagon, until the other day when I bought two online. A burgundy\cherry red colour and a classic black one and I love them and haven't taken them off, especially the red one. I just think you can't go wrong with a beret and short hair, especially in this weather. Pair them with a huge pair of sunglasses and wola! You're suddenly Audrey Hepburn on your bus ride to work, how chic!

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I've had a busy ol' week full of music and madness, so today I kicked back and did absolutely nothing apart from a yoga routine observed by a cat, reading my favourite book and watching the Grammy's. I had my first full gig in ages on Saturday after two nights of celebrations and a Complete Stone Roses gig, so it's safe to say I'm a bit dead, but I'm having so much fun playing more music than ever and being around fellow musicians a lot of the time is definitely making me feel v creative.  Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Audio Books _____________________________________________________________________

This week after a trudge around Waterstones, I decided to have a lil' look at Secrets for the Mad Dodie's new book. I picked it up and then became completely hooked and couldn't put it down. I decided, instead of paying £15.00 for a copy, to download the audio book and listen to it before bed. Dodie has a very relaxing voice and her ASMR videos are some of my favourite to sleep to. The audio book also contains songs and little readings from her friends. It has so far made me laugh and cry in equal measure and the tone of the book completely knocks me out.  This means I do miss out on many chapters, but with audio books it's really easy to find where you left off. I think I'm a big audio book convert now and might even keep my subscription to audible.com! I haven't listened to an audio book since falling asleep every night to those ever so famous Stephen Fry-read-Harry Potters that every child of my generation fell asleep to. I'm excited about this new audio book adventure, but I'm certainly not going to let it get in the way of my old-fashioned love for a physical copy of a book, it's just nice to have the choice. You never know, this may finally get me into podcasts!

Alexa Pranks_____________________________________________________________________

For Christmas my mum was given an Amazon Echo and I kind of hate it. This FBI man meme has just established the fact that we are being listened to by the government and Alexa knows man, she knows! What Alexa is great for though is freaking my poor mother out. After accidentally playing Kendrick Lamar full blast at 3am on it, I found out that my spotify has somehow connected itself to good ol' Alexa, meaning that I can play horror movie soundtracks and strange noises down in the kitchen for a bit of light entertainment. I've also began to play Come on Over by Shania Twain whenever I need my mum to come upstairs. Oh dear, I think I've reached my peak of millennial-ism, but it's my parents fault for introducing this impostor robot into the house in the first place! I better stop typing now, she's probably watching me! 

Sister Agnes_______________________________________________________________________

This week on my way to Carlisle, I met a nun on the bus. She asked me a question and then we hit it off, talking for the whole of the journey. I found out she was originally from Nigeria and she became a nun so she could travel and be close to God at the same time. We talked about everything; the state of the world, what we were doing this summer, the weather in Cumbria. She gave me some amazing advice and I was just so grateful to meet her and to be on that bus with her at the same time. It felt like the universe wanted me to have that conversation, I actually felt emotional when we said goodbye and I've been thinking about her a lot. Some people just flit in and out of your life like that, but they will be the ones that leave the most lasting impression. Talk to strangers on the bus, you never know what  kind of characters you'll meet and what advice you'll receive. 

Fishnets __________________________________________________________________________

This week, I was introduced to fishnets. Now I've never felt 'edgy' enough to get away with fishnets, I always used to think my long, pale legs wouldn't really look right in them. This is probably down to the song Girl all the Bad Guys Want by Bowling for Soup. But on Friday night I threw caution to the wind and wore my friend's fishnets under my mom jeans. I really liked the look and will definitely, maybe buy some for more edgier days, maybe, we'll see. You can see my 'edgy' transformation on my insta, won't be watching wrestling or listening to rap metal anytime soon though. 

How was your Monday?

      

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! It's actually #BlueMonday today, the one day where society allows us to be sad. Companies like to jump on this weird, made up day to monopolise campaigns to make sad people buy things. Two things to remember here; 1. It's okay to be sad at any other point in the year and if you are more sad than usual and it's stopping you from doing things, maybe think about visiting your GP. And 2. Maybe instead of buying into some overpriced, bullshit campaign donate to a mental health charity and help end the stigma once and for all. Annndddd breathe.. I know that #BlueMonday has some positive aspects attached to it, but I just think it's wrong to use mental health stigma as a means of advertisement, that's all. And I'm here to tell you it's not a blue Monday after all and if it is, that's okay too. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Bullet Journal____________________________________________________________________

Wow, I've been on a right ol' journey with diaries this Christmas. I ordered my usual Flow diary, it arrived and it was tiny and really disappointing (sorry Flow pals but it was). Then I ordered a 365 day journal from Amazon and the weekly spread only had 4 sections. So I gave up and decided to just make my own, bullet journalling isn't that hard is it? Well.. yes, but it's also really enjoyable. It's been really fun to design my own layout and have everything I need to stay motivated and be productive and I can personalise it anytime I like. I used to be really sceptical about 'bujo's', thinking that I would take up more time designing and making it pretty than using it. And yes maybe that's a tad true, but it's allowing me to be creative and also, get shit done. I'll probably do a separate post showing you the inside, that's what bloggers do right?

Hard Sun_________________________________________________________________________

It's the new addictive drama on the bbc, staring Agnys Dean and the plot is crazy good. I don't want to give away the plot, but it's set in pre-dystopian London, on the edge of an apocalypse in which the sun destroys the earth. Every shot has this amazing light, this very bright sun is always there, ominously in the background. I love a bit of dystopia and so far it's my ultimate cup of tea, check it out if you too like clever wide angles, models-turned-actors and dystopian dramas. 

Mist_____________________________________________________________________________

If anyone has  had a gander on my instagram feed recently, you will find that my aesthetic has become 94% grey, mist and trees and I'm happy about that to be honest. People keep telling me how miserable this weather makes them feel, but with me it's the opposite. I feel really at home in cold, misty weather and I think it's perfect for photography. Mist gives amazing perspective and mood to photos and I've been enjoying capturing all of this on many a bleak, January walk. And there's nothing better than coming home and thawing out with fluffy socks, a cup of tea and a bath. 

Black Mirror S4___________________________________________________________________

Oh look, more dystopian sci-fi what a surprise! -I'm also reading The Power at the moment but more on that later- Black Mirror is one of my all time favourite tv shows and their newest season did not disappoint. I wont give anything away but my favourite episodes are Crocodile, Arkangel & Hang the DJ. A lot of people have criticised this season but I think Brooker's writing has just got better and better, I just love tv shows that make you think so outside of the box that you end up trapped in an existential dread (not speaking from experience or anything) and I also think the beauty of Black Mirror is that they don't give you all the answers on a plate, it doesn't treat the viewer like a fool, there are things to work out for yourself and I think that's really brave in this day and age. Also I might just delete tinder for a while y'know? -if you know, you know- 

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals, it's been a hot minute! After working hard as an elf for the whole of December I needed a well earned rest and that's exactly where I've been. Catching up with friends and drinking plenty of alcohol and peppermint tea in equal measure. But now I'm back and ready to stick to a proper blogging schedule again. I have a new diary (although it's tiny) and I'm starting to get into a routine again starting with yoga in the morning and planning my day at a reasonable time; before it starts to get dark. January is a bit of a waiting game for me and therefore I have a lot of free time, so expect regular posts to start soon, I have much to say and although I am trying to focus more on music, I have missed writing. So I'm going to try and balance the two, starting this week. A good, old fashioned Monday post to start 2018, here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Starwars_________________________________________________________________________

I went to see it with a new edition to the fandom. My best friend Emily hadn't seen the most recent films, but after watching The Force Awakens she caught the Starwars bug and we decided to go and see the new one on the big screen. Although I have a lot of questions (no spoilers here dw) I did have fun and that sense of nostalgia that these most recent films do so well at; remained there. It was also so interesting to see Skellig Michael being on screen because I have visited that island and it is as isolating and remote as it is seen on the film, although there are no Porgs..unfortunately. Kylo Ren is still my favourite character though, what can I say? The darkside calls me. 

Sampler _________________________________________________________________________

I got an AKAI MPX8 sampler for Christmas, what is that you may ask? It's something used in music as a means of digital percussion, or a way to add background and noise filters to songs. I've been having so much fun with it this week and although it's quite tricky to master, I'm excited about how much it's going to give to my music and what I can do with it. At the moment I'm just having fun recording my cat making weird noises and using them as a beat, it's the new sound of 2018!

The Crown_______________________________________________________________________

So while I've been hibernating, what have I been up to? Well, for the first week of January you would find me snuggled under a blanket watching The Crown. I got through the first season in 2 days, pretty impressive and I'm now onto season 2. Now I'm no royalist, far from it. But I do have a strange fascination with the royal family and how they negotiate through life. The Crown; although dramatised is quite close to the truth -after a gander on wikipedia- and I now have a new found respect for The Queen and her fam', especially Princess Margaret, she went through so much shit man.  Who knew a series on Netflix could give me such a history lesson. 

Golden Globes Oprah Speech_______________________________________________________

I was lying in bed this morning scrolling through twitter and found this clip of Oprah Winfrey's speech at The Golden Globes. Nine minutes later I found myself streaming with tears and a warmth in my heart for all women everywhere that things are going to change. It was so powerful and the perfect thing to wake up to, if you haven't taken the time to watch it, please do it'll make your day and your life better:

  

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I can't believe it's only a week until Christmas, my cheeks are glittery and work is busier than ever, but I think it's the most fun I've had working. I've spent the week working incredibly long hours with a smile pinned to my face, dancing around to Wizzard -who knew entertaining children was such hard work- But I know it's all worth it and I've still managed to have a social life, going to bed at 2am and waking up again at 7, at least I have the glitter to cover up my eye bags! Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Haley Blais & Covers ______________________________________________________________

Haley is one of my favourite musical artists and I get a lot of inspiration from her lyrics and choice of covers and this Dean Martin cover just blew me away. I got into bed after a hard day at work and clicked on it for a bit of background music. Next thing you know I'm turning it up full volume and getting teary at the perfect vocals and chorus build up. I love Dean Martin songs and hearing a  cover of  one of my favourites; turning that drunken vocal slur into something angelic was just amazing and I have gone on to click on this video multiple times a day. 

Getting Published _________________________________________________________________

That's right, ya girl got her dissertation published in an actual psychology journal and I've never been so proud of myself. The hours of sore fingers and brains and tea and tears were all worth it! People can actually reference me when writing their own dissertations, that's crazy!

Love, Lies & Records ______________________________________________________________

It's a program designed for middle aged women but I've become hooked! My mum and I have been watching it on  BBC and it's just a simple program about a registrar and her dramatic life surrounding her job, but so much happens, so much un-necessary drama and it's such a good program to switch off to at the end of a long day. I also now am wondering if I would make a good registrar; I've come to the conclusion that I am too emotionally unstable for that shit. 

Labyrinth________________________________________________________________________

I had never seen the puppet-cult-classic that is Labyrinth, so my friends decided to change that. We watched it together the other night and apart from the effects being laughable and wanting to strangle the main character because she is so annoying; I would say I enjoyed it. It gave me huge Never Ending Story vibes and I'm not complaining about that. Bowie makes it though, and that soundtrack oh my I haven't been able to get Magic Dance out of my head since! 

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! Boy it's cold outside now, winter has definitely arrived bringing along frosty mornings and low sunrises, I've been enjoying the two equally on my way to work every morning. It makes cold hands and sleepy eyes feel worth it. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

Advent Calendar__________________________________________________________________

It's that time of year again, where us vegans are completely ostracised from society because we can't eat a tiny piece of chocolate daily. I'm joking of course; there's loads of dairy-free advent calendars to get your hands on these days. I however, am not the biggest fan of chocolate anyway, so my mum decided to treat me to a lovely candle advent calendar from my bae' Wilkos. Everyday is a different scented tea light and I am thoroughly enjoying coming home from work and basking in the warm glow of my daily, winter candle. Maybe I will spend a fortune on the Yankee candle one next year, who knows. 

The Good Place ___________________________________________________________________

I've recently been craving a sitcom style show to binge whilst doing other things. And instead of re-watching the complete series of New Girl from the beginning, I decided to try The Good Place, I've heard a lot about it from friends and social media and it definitely lived up. It's a very particular type of humour and it tickles me so much. Also the plot is actually quite deep once you've got past the first quirky few episodes. I'm on season two already after a week and I'm well and truly hooked to the concept of this show. If you're looking for something quite light-hearted and a bit zany to breeze through; this show might just be perfect. 

'The One's That Got Away' Playlist__________________________________________________

Spotify recently advised me on their 'wrap up of the year' function. Based on the site's algorithm it tells you what songs you have been listening to the most as well as artists and genres and number of plays. Mine was not surprising; The 1975, Fleetwood Mac, Lorde etc. (you can probably guess). But along with this, they constructed a playlist of music that they think I should have listened to, based on these results and oh my goodness! Every song I have been played, I have added to another playlist. It's quite creepy how well Spotify knows my taste in music and what I would like but also so helpful. It has allowed me to discover new artists and I'm always thankful for that. Also I seemed to listen to a lot of sad songs in 2017 hmm? 

     

How was your Monday?

A Not So Blue Monday

Hello pals! I'm sorry I haven't been around as much. I've been really busy starting a new job and constructing a new routine and sleep schedule and becoming a functioning member of society again. But I'm back now and this week has been filled with new experiences and 7am get-ups and I'm not complaining about neither. Here are the things that have made me particularly happy this week:

New Job__________________________________________________________________________

That's right, I'm temporarily employed again and it feels amazing! I'm actually working as a Christmas elf at a grotto in a local garden centre and my job revolves around organising meet and greets with Father Christmas, sorting out presents, smiling and singing. Honestly so far it's one of the best jobs I've ever had. I love being organised and having lists and writing things down, so this suits me to a tee and I also have an amazing team working with me. I have this job until Christmas Eve and I'm definitely prepared to make the most of it, who knows maybe I could work at Disney one day; I'm even warming to the children, shock-horror! 

Taylor Swift Listening Party_________________________________________________________

Before I started my job I went to my friends house for one last piss up with the Hayton Castle fam'. We listened to Taylor Swifts new album and drank gin and analysed and danced to the songs all night. I love the album itself and I'm so happy I finally got to listen to it with it not being on Spotify. I love how symmetrical the album is; with 7 songs depicting badass-ness and shade and the other 7 depicting falling in love. It's perfect because you can choose which half to listen to, depending on mood. My favourite tracks are; Gorgeous, I did a Bad Thing & This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things. I had such a magical night with great people and I know whenever I listen to this album now, the songs will remind me of gin and dancing next to a warm fire with the best people in the world. I just need to get my hands on that album now. 

Peaky Blinders Season 4 ____________________________________________________________

Beaky Plompers is back! I'm so happy that this aesthetically pleasing, chiselled-cheekboned, best-soundtrack of a show is back. And the first episode did not disappoint oh my goodness, it had me and Em sat up on the edge of my bed! Without giving anything away, I'm actually terrified of this new villain and they couldn't have picked a better actor to play him. Also I don't think I'm the only one that's missed a bit of Tommy Shelby in their lives (when he put those glasses on I thought I was going to die). I'm just so glad it's back and I have feeling this series will be better than ever and that's saying something. And lets not forget the soundtrack and the Nick Cave and Iggy Pop cover that blessed my ears on the first episode. I'm probably not going to shut up about Beakys for the whole of ANSBM now, soz-about-it. 

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp______________________________________________________

Picture the scene; I am wrapped up in bed after a 10 hour shift and am scrolling through twitter when I realise that the new app for Animal Crossing is out! I used to be obsessed with AC on my nintendo DS and then life happened and I had to do my GCSE's and gaming kind of stopped. But now I have time for it again, but no money to buy games. So one of my favourite games being on the app store is perfect! I'm not a huge fan of the concept of the game having to lure these animals into your camp with furniture and waiting on them hand and foot, but I just love the aesthetics. It's such a calming game and the music is pleasing and sometimes when you're had a hard day all you want to do is collect peaches and go and talk to Goldie about the sun and lie in a hammock or two. This is my life now. 

If you too are part of the procrastination-station that is AC, here is my ID and we can be friends (please don't judge my camp and please help me get into that darn quarry): 0022 0389 862. 

How was your Monday?