Month: March 2013

Chino

It’s the Easter weekend, what could be more topical than an Easter bunny? I admit he doesn’t look too festive right now, but give him time to settle into the Easter spirit. This is Chino – he is a dwarf lop, just over a year and a half old and is fully house trained. Although rabbits are very quiet, he has a headstrong character and provides our household with a lot of entertainment, with his crazy helicopter jumps and affectionate nuzzling. Words can’t describe how much I adore this little guy… every time I leave home to go on my travels, I just want to scoop him up and take him with me. If you had asked me two years ago whether I thought rabbits would make entertaining and personable pets I would have been doubtful, but they are actually very rewarding animals to have as pets. Chino never ceases to surprise me with the little quirks and mannerisms that he displays. For example, he likes to curl up in front of the television, and always inspects new or out of place objects. If you’re considering getting a pet, then I would strongly advocate getting a rabbit – just beware of cables on display and make sure you supervise them around wooden furniture… they do like to chew on things!

“Think pink!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVserRvKyec

Here’s a song from “Funnyface” to listen to – a song which advocates the colour pink! It’s still cold in the UK but I’m looking forward and hoping that Spring is just around the corner… and that it will usher in flowers and sunshine, as well as a refreshing colour mix up with regards to my wardrobe of blacks and burgundies…
I went shopping yesterday, and was looking through quaint little home and decor themed shops for shabby chic style dressing table mirrors. I picked up these two tops on the way, and the little cushion, which I thought was quite elegant!

So hopefully when the weather gets warmer, I’ll be thinking a bit more pink…

A little splash of something tropical…

A little splash of something tropical...

Blurred Cichlids – that isn’t the full name of the species, just a nod to the blurriness of this image. Fish move fast. These two yellowish fish are the latest addition to my brother’s aquarium – which comprises of quite a few little tropical fish, my favourite being the clown loaches, which apparently are called Maurice and Clive. You can’t see the clown loaches in this image because they like to hide out in their bachelor pad behind a piece of driftwood. The activity in the aquarium is pretty to watch, however I must admit I prefer Chino the rabbit to these guys… because you can’t cuddle a fish.

Topsy-turvy Springtime

A photo from last week – snow and tulips

When everyone sleeps…

It’s twenty to three in the morning. I’m sat cross-legged on my bed with a mint hot chocolate in an Aristocats mug. It has the diva kitten Marie on it and was purchased in February. Did I need another mug? No. But I can never deny my inner child a visit into the lair of the Disney Store, what is more, I always want to leave clutching something, and who can turn down Marie?

“The Aristocats”, or “Les Aristochats” as my mum calls it, is one of my all time favourite films. When I was younger, we used to watch it together, and our favourite part to this day remains the instrumental accompanying alcoholic goose Uncle Waldo… and his nieces Amelia and Abigail. I think the film has wonderful songs and vocals throughout -who can fail to be roused by “Everybody wants to be a cat”, or charmed by the silky smooth voice of Duchess, voiced by Eva Gabor (who also provided the voice for another sophisticated lady, Miss Bianca from “The Rescuers”, another childhood favourite of mine)

I think out of all the characters, I probably identify the most with… *drumroll* precocious Marie and artistic Toulouse…
The sequences with the kittens around the piano always makes me laugh – Toulouse, in creating his masterpieces, gets paint everywhere. I’m no Picasso but I am also guilty of this crime, as my family would be able to ascertain to you! I get paint absolutely everywhere! Including on the walls, my face, my clothes and this one time the inside of a freezer, but that is a story I won’t elaborate upon today…

Do you have a favourite film from your childhood that you still like to watch today? I am definitely guilty of overindulging in classic Disney films – there is an entrancing beauty in the animation of their hand drawn art.

I’ll leave you with a picture of another (much earlier) Disney Store cat purchase – Clarence the cheshire cat, posing with some macarons from Guernsey!
(With regards to identifying with this character…well I guess we share bizarre sleep patterns and big eyebrows!)
Ciao!

(a gratuitous inclusion of my face, including aforementioned cheshire cat eyebrows and an outfit I enjoy)

Channeling Tim Burton

This is what happens if I’m left alone with face paint and crayons. On the far left is a photo of me sporting what can be best described as a sort of Corpse Bride tribute look from Halloween 2012… the other two pictures came about one humid summer night in 2012 when I was feeling bored and unproductive. I was in Konstanz over Spring- Summer of 2012 and had bought a lot of cheap art supplies so that I could liven up the walls of my room… My room, which gradually became known as the honorary disco of my residence! Now, I’m not sure whether or not you can apply Tim Burton to Disco (maybe his film “Dark Shadows” is applicable to this concept) but this was what I felt like drawing that particular evening! These pictures feature Edward Scissorhands and Emily (aka. the Corpse Bride), two famous characters created by Tim Burton. I was looking through my Konstanz Photos, feeling all nostalgic, as I was just moving in to this town of dreams a year ago this weekend…. And I decided to give these pictures a viewing on my blog – the blog that seems to jump from topic to topic each post!

Drawing is something that I find really therapeutic and calming – There is something wonderful about being able to switch off to the outside world, channeling all the pent up energy in your mind onto paper, and creating something colourful. A couple of hours ago ,I went to a private viewing of an art exhibition in my college, and it has reminded me that I need to take time out now and again to pick up my pens and paints! I need to make a promise to myself to keep drawing, and to remember how happy it makes me feel… So that’s what I intend to do this evening 🙂 Read some autobiographical fiction and do some drawing!

Les Ongles d’une James Bond Girl!

My favourite manicure of the moment! This is OPI Man with the Golden Gun (18k gold flecked top coat) layered over OPI Bastille my Heart (a glamorous burgundy colour from the OPI French Collection). Maroon, Burgundy and in particular, Oxblood, have been a big trend during this winter period… I’m not entirely sure how to differentiate exactly between the shades in this spectrum of deep reds, but I have noticed that these colours have been everywhere in the past few months! They have also been gradually infiltrating my wardrobe, starting with the purchase of a burgundy peplum coat in September. I can now count leggings, tops, socks, ribbons and oversized hair bows amongst my burgundy cachet, although they are not to be worn all at once, of course! Call the colour what you will, it has clearly been the shade of the season – I reckon it’s been the colour most worn in lecture theatres across the country throughout September-Feburary 2012-13. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed a colour trend being so popular before. Students swanning around nonchalantly in burgundy chinos and artfully draped scarves, have meant that I am greeted each morning by a veritable sea of these rich hues on my walks around the city…

Back to the manicure!

OPI Bastille my Heart is a great way of adding an on trend accent to your outfit without blending into the crowd too much… It also feels luxuriously smooth if you run the fingers of one hand along the nails of the other hand. I know that textured nails are in, and I love glitter polishes (possibly too much), but you can’t beat a smooth and sophisticated finish. I’m glad that it is not a limited edition polish because I will definitely be replacing it when I reach the end of my bottle! If I had to describe this manicure, I would say that it is a perfect blend of two OPI collections – the French collection and James Bond Skyfall collection – culminating in a decadent look, reminiscent of the tones of a rich french wine. When peppered with gold flakes, you are left with a warm look which will brighten up the cold and drab early months of the year!