Snap Snap

My latest purchase from Ebay arrived a few days ago! I've been looking for a replacement film camera for ages, since my last one broke ( something along the lines of me trying to pull out the film when it wasn't finished because it wouldn't take the photos, so I damaged it even more ). I scoured the web and tumblr for inspiration, and came across the wonderful OLYMPUS TRIP 35! It's a 35mm camera, first introduced in 1967; its name is a reference to the fact that it was created as a compact camera for people to take on holiday with them. It is known for taking well exposed, sharp pictures so I am excited to see how it will take to my out of date film. Also, because the camera has a selenium light meter, it means that it requires no batteries. However, to take a good quality picture with this camera, an external flash needs to be used unless you are in good daylight or shining a lamp on the object. Therefore, when I was searching through Ebay, I was looking for ones that already came with a flash, so perhaps I actually paid more than I should have for the camera (£17+ £5 P&P). Nevertheless, I have taken a few photographs already and I am excited to carry on using it and to see how the film turns out! I'll keep you updated :)

Inspiration

'Tap at my window, maybe I might let you in'

I came across this New York townhouse on Tumblr and I fell in love; I think this is the sort of house I would love to live in when I'm older.

source:http://freshome.com/2012/04/10/inspiring-redesigned-interiors-of-a-gramercy-park-townhouse/

Denim Wishlist

Somehow my love for denim has been revived. It's interesting that since I actually no longer wear jeans, (Topshop Super Skinny Leigh Jeans aren't exactly proper proper denim), I've become more intriguied by other forms of denim; jackets, shirts, gillets, shorts, etc.  And I don't mean all those new trends of different pastel colours, I mean the real blue stuff.. If only these items could magically appear in my wardrobe... 

all images found on Tumblr

Weekend away!

Since I'm in the middle of my easter holidays from university, I decided to make a few trips across the country to see two of a my friends. First up on friday afternoon, I boarded a train to Birmingham from London Euston to see my friend Becky. I had an amazing time catching up with her and we also went out to the famous Birmingham Gatecrasher club with her friend Michelle. 

On the saturday I took a train from Birmingham to Rugby to see my friend Estelle; here are some pictures from the grand tour that she gave me of her hometown :)

all images taken on my Canon 450d slr, and edited.

Studs, studs, studs

I never intended to buy a bag and pair of shoes that matched, but it all turned around when I bagged these two beauties within a week of each other. The bag came first, my mum actually spotted it for me in the Christmas Holidays during our regular mother -daughter bonding time in TKmaxx. I believe it to be a rare find amongst the hundreds of bags they have there, because I've never come across another. Unbelievably, it was twenty-something pounds (can't quite remember) from the brand Bessie, which is something that people who have complimented me on it find hard to believe. It's safe to say that its probably my favourite bag that I've ever owned! The shoes came next. They are a pair of black studded brogues that I found in the Topshop winter sale, and I haven't taken them off since. When I wear these items together, I always get asked if i'm obsessed with studs. I guess its fair to say that I probably am. Searching through other blogs and magazines, I think a lot of people share this view. Here are some examples. Maybe next i'll get a pair of denim studded shorts to match? :)

The first two images are mine taken on a Canon 450d, and edited. The rest are found on Tumblr

Another favourite book of all time...

"But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings. Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because of your fantasy of enjoying naked light?

You’re stupid."


“Just like a murderer jumps out of nowhere in an alley, love jumped out in front of us and struck us both at once! The way lightning strikes, or a Finnish knife! She, by the way, would later say that it wasn’t like that, that we had, of course, loved each other for a very long time without knowing or ever having seen each other…”

— Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita

Seriously, I can't recommend this book enough; it is definitely one of the greatest stories ever told! And I'm so upset that I never got to see the stage production of it at the Barbican, (http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=12872) !

The Importance of a Sketch Journal

An extract from an essay that I am currently writing:

I find keeping a sketch journal works very similar to the way in which one keeps a diary; it is a documentation of your ideas, thoughts and progress. I would know since I happen to have both. I have always felt the need to document stages in my life, be it through photographs, sketches or writing. I have even at one point kept a joint journal with friends, which ended up recording a whole year of our lives at secondary school. It’s important to reflect, in order for in a later point of your life to look back and remember exactly what you felt at the time and know what ideas and thoughts you had. Similarly, if you look back at it a week later, it will be with a new perspective, so you will be able to offer up new concepts, which you can build on and refreshingly move forward with.  In some ways it can be a physical manifestation of the way your mind works. Therefore, it is so interesting to look around and see other people’s sketch journals; you not only get to see their ideas, but how their brain goes about revealing their thoughts and you perhaps also get a glimpse of what they are like as a person. 

Examples from my current book:

My new desktop picture

found on Tumblr

'But I love to be young'

canon slr 450d, edited with pixlr-o-matic

(C)ollection (O)f (S)tyle

Ever since I came across this store in Westfield, London last year, I was hooked. COS came out of nowhere in about 2007; a swedish chain opened by the H&M group it has been somewhat a lavish secret held by those who knew of it's existence. Their clothes are elegant, simple and timeless. In it's own words, 'it works hard to create fashion pieces that look and feel at once classic and modern'. As an architecture student, I get a bit of a thrill when I see clothes that are quite structural; interestingly shaped to sit well on the wearer. It is also interesting that their designs can suit someone of my age as well as that of my mother, who is also a regular at the store. For a student budget, the clothes are somewhat out of my league, but saving up for a piece can be well worth the wait.  Below are some of my favourites from this season, all are available on their online store.

http://www.cosstores.com/

'You were the ocean and I was just a stone'

A picture I took in my Garden using a Canon 450D, then edited with pixlr-o-matic

Lucian Freud Exhibition

"Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was one of the twentieth century's most important artists, a modern master of figuration. Freud had a life-long preoccupation with the human face and figure. His portraits often record the life of a relationship"

When I first heard that the National Portrait Gallery was having a Lucian Freud exhibition, I was over the moon. I first came across Freud when I was doing my Art A Level, I had a slight obsession with the naked form and was looking at new ways of portraying the body. Through his work he was trying to capture individuality and immortality, which is something that I was also writing about in my English Coursework at the time.  Therefore his work came as an inspiration; I would pin up pictures of his paintings next to mine and would try to imitate his technique. He once said "As far as I am concerned the paint is the person. I want it to work for me just as flesh does".

So when I was back from university last weekend for the Easter Holidays I dragged my family on the next available day to see the exhibition. We queued for half an hour on a sunny, sunday morning amongst hundreds of others. 

The exhibition which spans sevens decades of his work was arranged in ten rooms, starting with his early explorations of the portrait. It took us just over an hour to work our way through it. To see Freud's work up close is mesmerising, his paintings are raw, truthful and autobiographical. His close examination of humans lasted his whole life until his death this summer, he himself even said that he was interested in people as animals, and it was for that reason he liked them naked. " When I paint clothes I am really painting naked people who are covered in clothes". This is visible throughout the collection, where I felt that the pieces where people were clothed were perhaps less strong that their naked counterparts. The Exhibition as a whole was fascinating, and I would recommend it to everyone, even if you're not a big fan of art. 

'All I was searching for was me'

Here are two of my concept collages that I made at the start of our current design project.

'My, my cold-hearted child, tell me how you feel?'

My first Guerlain

I have always thought of Guerlain as a very sophisticated perfume brand, one that I would only purchase when I was much older with a real job and house. (Guerlain is one of the oldest french perfume houses in the world, established in 1828). However, as my mum and I were scouring the perfume aisles in House of Fraser we came across Guerlain's 'My insolence' perfume, and I fell in love with it immediately. Its not a bold overpowering smell as I would imagine most Guerlain's to be, but a sweet, floral one. It opens with a bunch of raspberry notes followed by a citrusy trace. I have always liked fruit in my perfumes! I have previously worn DKNY's apple perfume since I was 14; it became my signature scent. I have have tried only two others since then, (Gucci Guilty and Versace's Bright Crystal), both were great but I was always drawn back to the DKNY, maybe out of familiarity? Therefore, I thought I'd take a chance on this one and for now I love it.