South to East

South to East

This weekend was for adventures and exploration.

I left my south London cave and made the journey east to spend the day with Sheldo, sashaying around wearing the trench coat and tote bag of dreams. Work is busy... GREAT, but busy, with that in mind I wanted this weekend to involve a smaller quantity of booze than prior and a larger quantity of fresh air. I met Laura in Shoreditch, hotdog in hand, ready to head to our first destination - Anorak Magazines 'Drawing Imaginarium'.... It wasn't exactly what we were expecting... there were a lot less activities and a lot more children. In true trooper style, we gave the event a solid 30 minutes before giving up and heading to the Whitechapel Gallery. The main exhibit "Parallel I-VI" by Harun Faroki was super interesting, the space was made up of a variety of screens leading you through the evolution of gaming, it's actually amazing to witness technology growing at the speed it is. I still think I prefer the games that actually look like games, super obvious pixels and such... but alas, Assassin's Creed it is.

Although the pictures look pretty sunny, Saturday was freezing so we decided to base the rest of the days itinerary based on where the pockets of sun led us... we arrived at St Katherine's Dock and explored every small alley along the way. We found an open door to the Thames, a dolphin fountain, a peace garden where all faiths can congregate and be at peace, Morris Dancers, a building that looked like a remnant from War of the Worlds and a really good pub.

Overall, it was the perfect London day - oh hey Monday, I'm ready for you!

Laura Sheldo has a new collection of T-shirts, prints and totes out today - go, go, go! I 100% need this tote bag in a T-shirt!

Trench - Marks & Spencer, Top & Pants - Topshop, Tote Bag - Laura Sheldon

Podcasts: Essential Living 02

Podcasts: Essential Listening 02

Since January's gush-fest, I have delved deeper into the world of podcasts and I am more hooked than ever, so here are my top six new podcast discoveries for April:

Call Your Girlfriend

Call Your Girlfriend ‘a podcast for long distance besties everywhere’ was a favourite in January and my love has only grown. Full debrief in January's post.

Link

The Untold

The Untold is a documentary series hosted by Grace Dent, already that should have you running, headphones in, to your phone to download. The idea of The Untold is to explore compelling stories that would usually fly under the radar or go untold. This first episode that hooked me was 'Stacey Jackson: Chasing Dreams', which follows a pop star / mum / entrepreneur as she tries to crack stardom... it's fascinating.

If you like Grace Dent and are interested in people and their stories, this is 100% for you. 

Link

Ctrl Alt Delete

Ctrl Alt Delete is a relatively new podcast from journalist, blogger, novelist and all around wonder woman, Emma Gannon. In the first 4 episodes Emma talks to super novelist Liz Gilbert, YouTube queen Zoella, writer and all round badass Ashley C Ford and the young feminist / activist Rowan Blanchard.

Social media, the online community and feminism play a big part in her choice of guests and topics - it feels fresh, contemporary and I'm eager to see what the rest of the series brings!

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Joblogues

Along with the TED talks, this is one I listen to on a slow work day, when I'm lacking in motivation - you need to hear the voices of the successful, the badass, the driven, the career buffs and the young professionals taking on the world.

A kick up the career backside, all round thumbs up from me.

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Guy's We Fxxxxxd

Listed on iTunes as the 'anti slut-shaming' podcast - it's brash, rude and unapologetically honest. The two hosts, Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson are comedians, so naturally it's hilarious, not only that but it promotes strong women, taking control and sex positivity!

Link

Channel 33 'Jam Session'

I discovered this through Lunch Hour Links by Helen & Miranda (they offer out weekly inspiration in the best of forms, subscribe!). Channel 33 has a few different programmes under it's umbrella, all great, but my favourite is the 'Jam Session' - it's the go-to podcast for all things pop culture.

Episode 78 is a firm favourite up to now - I spent 1.5 hours listening to an in-depth discussion into Miles Teller and his somewhat confusing decision making. A gossip session well worth indulging in!

Link

Enjoy, procrastinate and leave me your favourites below...

On Female Friendship

Hey Girlll

This topic is huge, and it's something I think I will keep coming back to on here, but for now I want to talk about female friendship in relation to the three big, female focussed NY shows - Sex and the City, Girls and Broad City.

First up - Sex and the City... SatC created the original girl gang dynamic - four women, contrasting personalities and a killer friendship. I do love this show and at the time, talking so openly about sex, relationships and being an independent woman was innovative and mostly unheard of. The show in it's purest forms is based around friendship, real friendship. The gang love each other, stand up for each other, listen to each other being insane and somehow manage to help each other out no matter what. The show is pretty 'man hunt' focussed (life) but the show also strays from the norm by allowing a women in her fifties be single and says that it's ok, because despite popular opinion - being on your own isn't all that bad. Despite the film depictions of SatC being pretty shit, this quote is perfect, "I love you... but I love me more. I've been in a relationship with myself for 49 years and that's the one I need to work on." - Samantha Jones. Preach.

It's unrealistic for the majority of the time - take Carrie - from what we see, she writes one column yet seems to keep a one bed flat in Manhattan, with a steady stream of designer clothes / shoes, whilst out every night and going for drinks at every opportunity... I don't think so... reality is that she would be shopping at Primark (they are moving to the UK in this scenario, obvs), house sharing with another five people and eating a lot more beans.... but despite my best efforts, I still love this show. I think it's stood the test of time. Oh, and the clothes, THE CLOTHES.

Girl's came on the scene like a younger, grimier version of SatC - although I don't think this was deliberate, it's hard not to compare when the set up is so similar. Girl's is more realistic - the gang live in shittier flats (although Hannah still manages to work part time and live in a two-bed.... nope, not happening - get in a six bed Hannah), they don't wear a wardrobe made up of designer clothes and posh restaurants are out, clubs are in. There is a core group of four pals, so far, so Sex and the City, B U T the friendship dynamic in Girl's is meannnnn.

The protagonists are unlikeable - they are all selfish and self-absorbed, they stab each other in the back, bitch about each other and are generally the worst. Each character seems to be the extreme / rubbish parts of a shitty personality without the good parts to balance it out. That being said, I can see parts of myself in each of the characters and maybe that's a good thing. We can all be nasty, selfish and hurtful, and it's important that we see that being played out, nobody is perfect after all. The friendships are toxic and sometimes hard to swallow, the sex is honest, the bodies are realistic and it's great.

For me, Broad City is the best show in the world (no exaggeration, well... maybe a tad). When I compare the three shows, BC is the most realistic is terms of the living situation and portrayal of friendship. The two female leads share small flats with housemates they don't necessarily like, they work crappy jobs, smoke a lot of weed, re-wear outfits and drink a lot of booze. Abbi and Ilana are ridiculously great, pot smoking, hilarious, feminist heroes! The storylines aren't focussed around finding a man, they are focussed on being badass as you are.

The two girls love each other unconditionally, as my with girl gang - they are supportive, funny, non-judgemental, understanding, loving, compliment giving, hype machines. That's what feels realistic to me - pals who tell you that you can do anything and will be there along the way, making life generally more liveable. They are my people.

Basically, YASSSSS QUEEN.

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

My pal Hazel always highlights the importance of watching Country File on a hangover, it replaces that part of your soul that you quite possibly killed off the night before. Kew Gardens is the IRL version of this activity - super wholesome, restorative and refreshing. I actually wasn't hungover for this trip, but you catch my drift....

Anyway, my Nanna came to visit for the weekend and we decided to visit Kew Gardens in the rain (read: Manchester - same old, same old). I loved it - we devoured a lot of cake, drank a lot of coffee, explored the gardens on a land train and managed to catch this years Brazilian themed 'Orchid Festival'. The palm house was sweaty and incredible, trees are fascinating... super geeky but oh so true. I was also amazed to find out that the palm house in Kew was completed in 1844 - managing to survive two world wars!

Slightly off-topic story - there are a set of trees in Malaysia that decided to start working together. One of the trees was super tall but super skinny, and the other tree was weak and couldn't access the sun. So, in the spirit of true team work - the weak tree, wrapped around the other tree which meant that the weak tree could get sunlight and the super skinny tree gained strength. Incred.

The Japanese Garden was a firm favourite from the day - current addiction to Japan aside, these gardens were incredible! It boasted indigenous plants, architecture and had a distinctly different atmosphere to the rest of the gardens. I will definitely be making a trip back, maybe when the sun is being a bit more cooperative.

What are your wholesome London activities? I need more brilliant Sunday options.

Happy Saturday!

Coat - Zara, Top & Pants - Topshop, Jacked - Missguided, Boobie Pins - Coucou Suzette

Shine Theory

Shine Theory

If you are a 'Call Your Girlfriend' addict, then this phrase will already be firmly in your vocabulary. If not, then I will give you the run-down. Ann Friedman, writer and one half of CYG, wrote the article 'Shine Theory: Why Powerful Women Make the Greatest Friends' for The Cut in 2013.

And the minds of the world were blown... or at least mine was.

Shine theory is a science of sorts, based around the idea of 'I don't shine if you don't shine' (amazing phrase coined by Aminatou Sow, other half of CYG) - surrounding yourself with strong, happy, confident, 'shiny' women, can only make your life better, you are able to shine more around these glittering souls, not less.

The worst type of friendships to hold onto, are the ones that don't make you feel like your best self everyday. People who make themselves feel better by tearing other people down are the WORST, it's not confidence, it's cowardice. Why compete with other women? Why feel jealous when they get something you don't? Just....don't.... Women need to support other women. Feel happy for your pals success, be inspired and motivated by these incredible women. You're lucky, you have people in your corner pushing you to achieve and defending you when things don't go to plan.

Friends like these make you feel like you are the best thing in the world, like you're the most intelligent, funny and beautiful, because on the days when you don't feel it - they know it. They are the people that hype you up, they tell you that Beyonce should be scared when you strut out in a new dress, or text you to say how bloody great you are on the morning of a big meeting. Those are the people to cherish, always.

Read Ann's original The Cut article HERE.

The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, via Infographic

The World's 100 Most Powerful Women

March is 'National Women's History' month and tomorrow is 'International Women's Day' - let's celebrate womankind, I know I will be. This week my blog / Instagram / Twitter is going to be over-run with women, boobs and female empowerment.

First up - 'The World's 100 Most Powerful Women'

Forbes collates a variety of lists each year to show the world's 100 most powerful women, men and people. I read and re-read the information, trying to understand who these powerful women were - what did they do? Where did their power come from? I needed / wanted to know everything.

So, I spent Saturday night creating this infographic (coolest? I know...) to explore the key stats. I will let the infographic explain itself but all I will say is that I was glad to learn that celebrities only accounted for 7%, something that I assume will begin to increase with our current generation (although mens list, I'm looking at you, please not Justin Bieber... despite him possibly being a magician)

After analysing the list of incredible women, I wanted to see what the divide between gender was on the 'World's 100 Most Powerful People' - women only make up 9% of that list. Women and men are equal, hopefully the numbers to follow in the next few years will begin to show that.

I hope this has been enlightening in some way, if not that, then hopefully a treat for the eyes... I have linked the original lists HERE, if you want to gain more information.

Be a Cool Kid, Make a GIF

Be a Cool Kid, Make a GIF

Do you ever feel left out when you see pictures of cats coming together in a perfect, delicious union? Do you feel like all the cool kids are making GIF's and you can't? Well, do not fret - I am here to help via the medium of film.

I have a new video up on my YouTube channel - please watch, like, subscribe and GIF until your heart is content!

Refresh Repeat

Refresh Repeat

Procrastination solely fuelled by the internet is a new hobby. Refresh repeat, refresh repeat, refresh repeat.. the internet constantly offers new content to seduce my brain and concentration every second.  The internet is like an irritating friend - it wants to talk a lot, be the centre of attention and basically draw your attention away from any task you were about to complete.

Pre-internet obsession, my procrastination capabilities were still pretty strong - I would quite happily clean my kitchen, organise my book shelf into alphabetical order, re-organise my book shelf to group colour groups (Pinterest innit?), sort of my wardrobe, eat dinner, bake a cake (eugh, baking)... I wonder if there are strange creatures out there who don't procrastinate? Would they be allowed to be counted as 100% human if they can complete a task straight away?...

*Just so you are fully aware, I made the above graphic whilst procrastinating about starting another project. Yep, that's right guys - I procrastinated by designing a graphic to show the ways I procrastinate. Yep.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

This has to go down as one of my cheesiest blog post titles of late, but I am a big believer that a bit of cheese (food and sentiment) is needed at times.

Anyway, you've seen this garden before (ruining the titles promises), it's one of my favourite places in South London. It's always gloriously overgrown and peaceful - it really does feel like the garden has opens itself up just for me. I like the quieter, less showy and more genuine parts of London, it's places like this, that make me feel calm and at home here.

A couple of weeks ago I invited a couple of pals around for a late breakfast and since the ever so shy sun made an appearance, we took our brunch catch up to the the garden - since it was me and Amy (Vintage Reflection) wandering, taking a few sneaky shots of the days artfully prepared outfit was always going to be the natural progression. I call this my 'grown up toddler' look, any childlike behaviour is a bonus and only accentuates the look (just in case you were going the restyle...)

Any secret places in London you know about? Leave them below and I will explore.

Trainers - Adidas, Jacket, Top & Brooch - Second Hand, Dress - Topshop

Podcasts: Essential Listening

Podcasts: Essential Listening

I'm not the type of person who can sit and work in silence, concentration needs noise, so does quality procrastination time...

Spotify holds the number one spot in my heart, well it did... that was before I was introduced to the Podcast app. I have fallen, and I have fallen hard. I feel like I need to spread the joy, so here are my top ten podcasts for anyone in need of a discussion, inspiration, motivation or just in need of zoning out:

Serial

I feel like this is a tired choice, everyone knows about Serial and everyone loves Serial, but I love Serial, which is why it's here, sat right smack bang on this list. Serial takes a true story over a series and delves right into the weeds.

In season one, Sarah Koenig goes back through all the notes of Adnan Syed's case - Adnan is currently serving life in prison for the murder of Hae Min Lee, but did he do it? Listening to Sarah's exploration through the statements, talking to the witnesses and talking to Adnan will have you thinking he's guilty, he's not guilty, definitely guilty, maybe not guilty? Am I guilty? Maybe I did it? arghhhh!!

If you are currently addicted to Making a Murderer and you are into super stressful stories with literally no ending - this ones for you.

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Design Life

Design Life is a new design podcast hosted by Charli and Femke - both female designers in the early years of their careers and both serial side project addicts. Their podcast is addictive, enriching and makes me want to get of my arse and tackle all of the creative projects I have been putting off. I don't think I have met (vocally...) two more motivated people. The episodes are based around the design business, how to navigate it stealthily and how to make time to do the creative things you want.

One of my recent favourite episodes was 'making and managing time' - this is a topic that I think all creatives (probably all people) fight with on a daily basis. Charli and Femke discussed how they managed their time and kept organised. The basic moral of the episode was - if you want to do something that bad, you make you make time, you get up early, you work on the way to work - no excuses...

If you are into design, witty convo, inspiration and in need a kick up the arse - get over to Design Life.

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Call Your Girlfriend

Call Your Girlfriend ‘ a podcast for long distance besties everywhere’ is a new favourite, I started at episode one and I am burning through them. CYG is hosted by BFF’s Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow - I have fallen hard, mainly due to the fact that it feels like I’m sat listening to my best friends chatting and giggling – they discuss feminism, periods, racism, rom-com’s, politics, Kimye and the mystery behind the Kardashian’s…

You will leave the episode feeling warm, inspired, pumped and unable to sing anything by Robyn’s ‘Call Your Girlfriend’. It will also make you want to call your girlfriend and discuss everything you have just listened too, job done.

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Another Round

This a booze infused podcast hosted by Heben and Tracey, they are the witty, intelligent and funny people you eye up at a party and instantly think ‘I’m going to make you my friend’. If you want to sit and listen to two girls, getting tipsy and discussing (extremely articulately despite the booze… well done everyone) racism, the high and lows of social media, dating and feminism, then this is the internet place for you. They often have big hitting guests to add to the conversation and they are most definitely not scared about asking the questions people need an want to know.

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Women of the Hour

Women of the Hour is everything you would want and expect from a Lena Dunham podcast – it’s honest, it over shares, it’s badass and it is full of open conversations regarding sexuality, feminism, gender, work, play and all the fun stuff in-between. 

The show is only five episodes long (series two Lena?..) with a smattering of additional footage throughout. Lena features interesting and thought provoking guests on each episode to push the conversation and thought process further, she often asks the questions that people usually shy away from, which makes for an interesting listen. The incredible Emma Stone and the unnervingly cool June Squibb are on hand every episode to offer wisdom and advice to the masses. Want to know what to do when a ‘friend’ is being less than friendly? Squibb will sort it, no worries.

Lena divides people, to use the severely overused analogy - she’s like marmite, people either love her or hate her. I love her, she says exactly what she thinks and does exactly what she likes – whether that be flashing her tits to the world or talking in depth and heartfelt about her friendships. If you love Girls and you loved Lena’s ‘Not that Kind of Girl’ and you subscribe to Lenny Letter, you will love this. Obvs.

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TED Talks

TED Talks, this is on the list because it has to be. This is one I listen to on a slow work day, when I'm lacking in motivation - you need to hear the voices of the successful, the badass, the idea creators and the down right thought provokers of the world.

I have a few essential TED Talks that I have as back up for an emergency situation, a few to get you started are - Sheryl Sandberg's 'why we have too few women leaders', Ken Robinsons's 'schools kill creativity', Elizabeth Gilbert's 'your elusive creative genius' and Brene Brown's 'the power of vunerability'.

They inspire, motivate and make you want to be a better person, all round thumbs up from me.

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Kermode and Mayo's Film Review

I am the annoying person / cinema goer who likes to watch a film and then dissect it fully post-viewing - irritating for some, un-avoidable for others. Anyway, Kermode and Mayo are not only my film viewing enablers but they allow me to dissect a film without annoying people.

The episodes usually focus around one film to focus on and discuss, usually with the films protagonist in tow. Each episode is around two hours long, a solid chunk of time well spent. Ultimately I trust their recommendations, I don't always agree but I always see value in what they say. They are the Simon Cowell of the film critic world - harsh but usually correct.

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Monocle 24: The Monocle Arts Review

This podcast is a quick hitter - 15 minutes of art, theatre, literature, film and all the good stuff each week. I recently went to see 'The Big Short' at the cinema and pretty much adored it, in a recent episode, the arts review interviewed Tim Robey, a film critic who discusses said wondrous film - lapped it up entirely. The arts review introduces me to films, programmes, books and artists in an easy way. I enjoy the set-up, when they discuss a book, they look into the underlying themes and messages to form a deeper understanding and enjoyment. All for it.

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Guardian, Science Weekly

The Guardians Science podcast is a good'un, one for expanding and boggling the mind in equal measure. One of my favourite episodes recently was 'why are conspiracy theories so attractive', it looked into our power of reasoning and why we get so drawn into a good conspiracy theory. So much illustration fodder flows freely from this podcast, I want to draw everything despite understanding very little.

Link

My Dad Wrote a Porno

This podcast is the comedy sprinkling to my list. The host Jamie Morton reads out sections of his dads erotic novel 'Belinda Blinked', he owns the information and it's incredible. If this sentence doesn't make you want to drop everything you are doing and download, then I don't know who you are.

I don't have a huge amount of comedy podcasts on my list, they are just too distracting and usually end with me sniggering loudly rather than subtly enjoying the lol's. But if you can be better than me, whack it on.

Link


Do the right thing, make your workday and life better with a podcast.

When in Rome

When in Rome

'When in Rome' - yeah, I'm that guy.

I'm also the guy that quoted Gladiator whilst walking around the Colosseum... I mean, who wouldn't?

If you have been slinking over to this area of the internet for a while, you will have probably heard me endlessly gush about my travelling experiences. If not, here is the short version, breath and....

I went travelling for just under a year with one of my best buddies, we visited some of the most exciting, stunning and awe-inspiring places on the whole entire planet, including Moscow, the Trans-Siberian Railway via Mongolia to Beijing, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and North America. When our year was up, I had obviously had an incredible time, but it also made me realise that I had a lot of European destinations / places I could hop for a long weekend that had been un-explored. Un-touched territory.

My European takeover started in 2015 with Berlin, before scooting over to Italy... ah Rome, you were endlessly sweet... So, I thought I would share some of my pictures and thoughts as to why Italy is so goddam beautiful, here we go:

1. Rome is kinda rough around the edges, nothing looks primped and perfected. The paint on the walls is crumbling away, the graffiti shouts wherever it likes and the buildings are worn. To me, that is beautiful, it shows history, fun and a life lived. The wrinkles of the world not being hidden away, but celebrated.
2. The food - pizza, pasta, pizza, pasta..... a revolving stream of delicious carbs that manage to taste nicer in the cheapest places that Rome has to offer than the fanciest places of anywhere else. 
3. The drinks - anyplace that serves me the most delicious wine and coffee and every occasion is a bloody banger of a place in my eyes. 
4. I love how old Rome is, how steeped in history, how many huge events in the history of the world has happened there and how many stories began in Ancient Rome. I spent my time wandering around in complete awe, my eyes had no idea what to look at first and my brain was constantly wishing wikipedia would pop up in the street and describe a certain paving stone or fountain to me (best idea ever?).
5. Rome (I'm assuming all of Italy possesses this..) is the most passionate city I have ever encountered. Everywhere I looked there were young couples, old couples and new couples openly in love and showing it - not worrying for one second that people would stare or find it remotely unusual that they were snogging each others faces off at every moment, and why should they? 
6. Also much amusement was gained from witnessing the male sculptures genitalia being carefully hidden away with a strategically placed leaf....

We stayed on a campsite, yes a campsite... sounds like a rather odd choice for a November trip to Italy, but hear me out. We had wanted to visit Rome for so long and we knew it would be rather expensive to stay in a city centre hotel / apartment so we started to look into alternatives. My friend suggested 'Camping Village Roma' and the deal was done. This place was great, super close to the centre of Rome (10 minute bus), clean, friendly and above all, super cheap.

Anyway, I adored Rome, have you been? What are your thoughts? Favourite parts?

I know need to pick my next European destination... any ideas?