Lx
Friday, 30 December 2011
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Sunday, 18 December 2011
A Dr. Seuss Christmas...
"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more??"
L x
Saturday, 17 December 2011
"The time has come," the Walrus said....
Came across this old gem, I remember my Dad reading this to me when I was little. Good times.
L x
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
whoops....
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
whoops....
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Movie stills from the new Great Gatsby...
In the midst of essay insanity and endless disseration based chat I had completely forgotten that this was being filmed by Baz Lurhmann. Much to my disappointment it's not going to be released until the end of next year but here are some of the first images that have been released. Leonardo Di Caprio plays Gatsby with Toby Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy. Genuinely wish I could have lived then - no one does glamour quite like Gatsby.
L x
"He wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps,
that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused
and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a
certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find
out what that thing was."
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
{images celebuzz}
Monday, 5 December 2011
Christmas
Having attended an all girls Catholic School for 8 years and being made to attend Mass every Sunday and during the week on feast days, I don't have the most positive view of religion.. Nonetheless, over Christmas I find it hard to be overly sceptical and almost feel nostalgic for the days when I did genuinely believe it all to be 100% true (Father Christmas and the whole Jesus, Mary, donkey, stable shepherds malarkey). While reading for my latest fun-filled essay, it seems that Thomas Hardy had a similar experience with regards to religion (not the all-girls Catholic school part...) but I came across this poem which seemed to sum it up quite appropriately:
The Oxen
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
"Come; see the oxen kneel
"In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,"
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
"Come; see the oxen kneel
"In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,"
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
L x
Sunday, 4 December 2011
For the love of Bridget...
After having just left school, a friend and I
went inter-railing around Europe. Being young and slightly pretentious we chose
a selection of very 'serious' books to take with us. For two weeks we struggled
through Flaubert and various other profound, ‘thought-provoking’ works, each
not quite prepared to admit to the other how torturous these books had become.
Eventually, around half way through the trip, our academic poise broke and in a
pretty grimy hostel in Budapest, we lost literary self control. Amidst old
copies of Lonely Planet and Hungarian
versions of Mills and Boon, we found
what, at the time, we saw as literary manna: sparkly jacketed, predominantly
pink and hotly reviewed by Heat and Grazia magazines; Filthy Rich by Wendy Holden was just what we needed. There are
times and places for different books and if anything was learnt from the trip
aside from the unfortunate effects of Ouzo, that was it.
Even now, whilst reading English at degree level
and thoroughly immersed in the pages of all those books which have something
VERY IMPORTANT to say, it is easy to get a distorted view of what constitutes
'literature'. Unfortunately, chick-lit is not a module offered by the Durham
University English department, although even I can admit that if you place
Sophie Kinsella’s The Secret Dreamworld
of a Shopaholic alongside something like Joyce’s Ulysses such an omission may be justified. However, this does not
mean that chick-lit does not have some worth as a genre in its own right.
One of the problems that people have in
admitting their fondness for novels of this particular ilk is that the term
'chick lit' has come to suggest a certain type of book. We all know the one:
held together by pastel covers and dramatic romantic plot line, climaxing in
some sort of crisis in which main character finds herself alone having consumed
4 boxes of Krispy Kremes and a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Following this, a life
changing decision leads to love, friendship and almost certainly a fairytale
ending. Though this stereotype is not completely without grounds and has proved
to be popular with the masses (think Bridget Jones), it is not
altogether fair to deem chick-lit puerile rubbish. The damning judgements made
by many readers fail to reflect not only the quality of writing, but also the
diversity of subject matter within some of the texts. I say some, for there are
a few for whom no defense is possible. Katie Price, your ‘novels’ shall not be
gracing my bookshelves anytime soon.
Though this applies to every genre, what makes
it particularly hard to differentiate between the men and the boys, or perhaps
in this case the girls and the women, is that when it comes to commercial
women’s fiction, novels are presented in a very similar manner. Despite the old
idiom, books are judged by their
covers. It comes with the territory – if you want to give yourself an air of
gravitas, you hold a secondhand hardback in your hands. If you want to appear
girly and fun, the aesthetic of a book is even more critical, but you’d far
sooner clutch a bright and cheery happy-go-lucky glossy pink number. However,
chick-lit comes out with some of the worst physical misrepresentations, often
causing us to think twice before walking out the house with something we know
we’ll be judged for going near. What appears at first to be a book which, quite
frankly, you’d be embarrassed to get out on the tube, can actually turn out be
something genuinely worth the read and vice versa.
Nonetheless, writers from Nancy Mitford to Jilly
Cooper have kept us entertained for generations, writing novels which are
hilariously witty, often incredibly insightful and whose characters remain with
us for life. F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted that part of the beauty of
literature is that within it you find something universal. In part, I think
this is why books such as Bridget Jones' Diary are so popular; aside
from the great humor which permeates the work, every woman who reads it sees a
little of Bridget in themselves.
If we’re very honest, these books are probably
not going to change your life, neither will they make you a better person, yet
on the upside they won’t leave you on the verge of some sort of existential
crisis. What they do offer are lighthearted stories which address the many
issues of modern womanhood in ways which enable us to laugh not only at the
characters but also at ourselves. There are times and places for different
books, and when it comes to chick-lit I am more than happy to occasionally
indulge.
Lx
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Grecian Mini Break???
Life is unbelieeeeeevably dull right now, the weather is horrific, and if I attempt to contemplate the amount of work that I have to get done in the next couple of weeks I might actually bring on some kind of mental and/or physical breakdown. Nonetheless in moments of extreme boredom while gazing out of the window at the builders having yet another fag break I like to envisage other places I would rather be.. today is Kephalonia the setting for the one of my favourite books, Capitan Corelli's Mandolin. Yes the film is beautiful and I do have a rather large place in my heart for Nicholas Cage, but the book trumps it every time. This cover designed by Rob Ryan is also amazing. Enjoy!
"It is a light that seems unmediated either by the air or the stratosphere. It is completely virgin, it produces overwhelming clarity of focus, it has heroic strength and brilliance. It exposes colours in their original prelapsarian state as though straight from the imagination of God in his youngest days, when He still believed that all was good. The dark green of the pines is unfathomably and retreatingly deep, the ocean viewed from the top of the cliff is platonic in its presentation of azure and turquoise, emerald, viridian and lapsis lazuli"
L x
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Gossip girl...
Possibly my favourite Gossip Girl scene ever - genuinely nearly broke my heart. They can't not get back together after this.... If you're not up to date on with the American show then maybe don't watch..
L x
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Black and White
Found this
gorgeous Tumblr:
Here are some of my favourite images from it. Just looovvee old black and white photos like this.
L x
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Jobs advice
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only
way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And
the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t
found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the
heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship,
it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking
until you find it. Don’t settle.” -Steve Jobs [Stanford commencement
speech, June 2005]
What a wise and wonderful man...
L x
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Enzyme Lurrrvin'
Not going to lie, a facial product with the word enzyme in the description, brings back scarring memoires of GCSE biology and that episode of Sex and the City where Samantha goes for a chemical peel.... Face masks are another thing that does not fill me with the greatest amount of confidence, (especially those peel ones, which, although strangely satisfying to remove, never seem to come of smoothly and days later you're still finding bits and wondering how many people have come the conclusion that you're suffering from an unfortunate skin condition...). Nonetheless! I love this one, smells incredible, leaves your skin soft and smooth with no danger of lingering remnants! BRILLO!
Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel: £28.60
L x
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Ed Sheeran you babe...
I'm completely in love with Ed Sheeran's album (+) at the moment - literally listening to it on repeat. This is one of my favourite songs from it called 'Small Bump'.
L x
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Saturday, 1 October 2011
High Street Picks: Topshop
Once again Topshop is responsible for the draining of my bank balance - although shopping in Dorset is severely limiting and incredibly frustrating I managed to find something to buy (it would have been wrong if I hadn't...). ALSO, they are now selling French Sole's on their website. Love these jazzy gold ones, and at £98 I'm going to think of them as in investment....!
L x
Friday, 30 September 2011
Home Sweet Home....
Have been away for the last month gallivanting around Nepal having the most incredible time (blog posts to follow!). I have to say though, it is nice to be home, to be reunited with my western comforts and to be able to drink tap water again! So much to catch up on - Downton Abbey is back, Gossip Girl and 90210 have started and my sister tells me there is a new Inside Natures Giant's Episode on the giant turtle (yes I'm a massive geeeek!). Here are a couple of nice things I came across while trying to make up for a month away from the internet!
L x
Macaroons - dearmachine on Etsy
Kate Moss - Mario Testino
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Friday, 19 August 2011
Atlas Hands....
Big love for this song and indeed this artist - the perfect mellow summer tuuunne.
Also check out his cover of the Killer's "When You Were Young"
L x
Weekend Wishlist...
Daddy.... if you really love me....???
Nope. Never going to happen... gonna have to find me a rich husband to purchase me Lanvin and Anya bags..... oh well... in the mean time I can afford good old Topshop and YSL beauty products. Off to Zante (or Zakynthos as my mother keeps trying to call it in a bid to avoid the 'lads on tour' association with the island) so should be able to have a good old spree in duty free before jetting off to sand, sea and a small handful of appallingly behaved/dressed fellow brits... larrvly.
L x
Pink Clutch - Anya Hindmarch
Black Shoulder Bag - Lanvin - Net-a-Porter
Lipstick - YvesSaintLaurent
Shorts - Topshop
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Illustrations for Absolut Blank
 |
| David Bray |
 |
| Eduardo Recife |
 |
| Mario Wagner |
I love it when an advert creates something that is really beautiful and these designs are a prime example.
L x
Thursday, 11 August 2011
(Unsticky by Sarra Manning)
Grace is dumped by her awful bf in Liberty's right by the Marc Jacob's handbags, yet almost simultaneously she is swept of her feet by an rather pushy yet strangely intriguing older man... The twist lies in the affair that he proposes and the lengths to which Grace would go for love and money...
Grace is dumped by her awful bf in Liberty's right by the Marc Jacob's handbags, yet almost simultaneously she is swept of her feet by an rather pushy yet strangely intriguing older man... The twist lies in the affair that he proposes and the lengths to which Grace would go for love and money...
Have just DEVOURED this and now unfortunately have a Grace shaped hole in my life. If your mourning the lack of summer here in England or jetting off to somewhere where summer translates as heat you HAVE to read this.
L x
LCC artwork
Being interested in going into book cover design after I leave university I have been researching some courses in Graphic design at the London art colleges. I came across this while having a cheeky look at some of the artwork and I LOVE it (the small version didn't do it justice so have had to cut it into two!). Its by Yu Ping Chen. Also have a look at some of the other stuff here.
Lx
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
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