Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us. - Hal Borland.

And so we find ourselves at the very end of 2009 - it's been an incredible year with some absolutely mind-blowing highs and equally exaggerated lows; life today is virtually unrecognisable when compared to that of a year ago - everything that could have done has changed completely and I've changed a huge amount with it.  It remains to be seen quite what effect these changes will have on my life; not enough time has yet passed to allow things to be seen entirely clearly and who knows how things will end up in one, two, or ten years time.  The one thing I do know is that tomorrow is supposed to be a time for new starts - an idea that I've always been rather sceptical about; I firmly believe that change should come from necessity or good timing and not simply because that is what society dictates for a particular day in the year.  There may well be destructive habits that I should leave behind me and new, more positive activities that would facilitate my development into a happier, healthier and generally better person but this will not happen over-night and certainly not simply because it's what I should be doing.  

Tonight is really just another night, nobody will undergo a radical transformation into a miraculously superior human being at midnight, just because a new year is upon us - we will all be the same flawed individuals constantly striving to improve ourselves in one way or another and doing our best to be the people we would so like to be.  For this reason I'm not against the idea of 'New Year's Resolutions' or any other attempt at self-improvement which can only have a positive effect on the individual and the world around them, but firmly believe that resolutions need not be restricted to this one day of the year - we should feel free to make vows to change for the better at any time.  Instead of making resolutions, I'm working on a list of 10 things I would like to achieve in 2010 - this will not necessarily involve forcing myself to become a slightly better person, but will hopefully give me the motivation to accomplish some things that have been on my to-do list for a while!

Despite this rather ambivalent attitude towards the whole idea of New Year's Eve and the traditions associated with it, I'm always up for a celebration and will indeed be out tonight.  While there is often too much pressure put on NYE to fulfil everyone's expectations and see the new year in with a bang, tonight will be spent with my very best friend, lots of wine and even more dancing - I fail to see how this could be anything but the perfect way to spend the last night of this year.  

I've complied a playlist of songs which define 2009 for me, one which will most likely be playing tonight as we decide what to wear and get ourselves all dolled up for the fun and games that will follow.  Some of these tracks highlight the best and most significant moments of the year, while others are just amazing songs that were released this year - either way, they're all rather wonderful and I hope you enjoy them...

theverybestoftwothousandandnine

1. Passion Pit - Little Secrets

2. Kings Of Leon - Knocked Up

3. Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

4. The Cribs - Cheat On Me

5. Chase & Status - Against All Odds

6. Lady Gaga - Paparazzi

7. Kasabian - Fire

8. Florence & The Machine - Drumming Song

9. Shakira - She Wolf

10. La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream Let's Get Ravey Remix)

Happy New Year!

I hope that you have an amazing night, whatever you may be doing!

Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. - Jean Paul Richter.

I wore - crushed velvet body - Topshop, high-waisted skirt - American Apparel, butterfly patterned tights and pearls - H&M, black sequinned shoes - Etam, and a cardigan/shawl thing of questionable origin, I just know it's been in my wardrobe for years!

My 21st birthday party; quite possibly the best party I have ever had, certainly worth turning 21 for!  Ignore any reservations I may have previously had about celebrating or the unfortunate timing of my birthday, my wonderful friends and various relatives all made a huge effort to get themselves to my house (which incidentally is a pretty much impossible task after 6pm unless a willing chauffeur is available!) to help make this birthday one to remember.  It truly was the recipe for a perfect evening - a handful of amazing friends, lots of food and even more wine, finished off with a generous helping of gossip and giggles - I couldn't have wished for a better birthday:

Thank you all!

Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness. - Richard Bach.

And so the first week of my Christmas holiday has already flashed past in a whirlwind of excitement, shopping and champagne.  It's been a particularly strange week, one that has passed with phenomenal speed whilst also giving me the strange impression of never having been away.  Fortunately I still have a couple of token Euros in my purse and random French words popping into my head (and occasionally out of my mouth) without me really asking them to, all reminding me that my time in Lyon was more than just a bizarre and slightly surreal dream!

This week has been spent in the midst of a huge flurry of activity and excitement - the sort that can only truly be induced by the most festive of all seasons.  It began with frantic shopping, wrapping and card-writing, while also trying to organise reunions with as many friends and family-members as possible and culminated in three days of tremendous indulgence with some of my very favourite people.  We all ate and drank far more than would be normally acceptable - so much so that my first New Year's resolution will definitely involve some sort of detox and exercise regime - and received many, many wonderful presents.

So many lovely things, I barely know what to do with myself: My family obviously know me and my love affair with all things sparkly far better than I thought and I have several more items to add to my sequin-covered collection.  I am also now the proud owner of a beautiful MacBook Pro and Canon DSLR camera - courtesy of my parents and grandparents - and have spent a large part of the weekend playing around with them and making a nuisance of myself with incessant photography and computer-based activities.  Aside from this uncharacteristically sizeable helping of electronic gadgets, the remaining gifts were more in keeping with my usual wishlists of make-up, perfume, jewellery, clothes and money (to be spent on more make-up, perfume, jewellery and clothes!)

While I appreciate every one of these amazing presents immensely and would hate to be labelled spoilt or ungrateful, they only improved what would already have been an utterly fantastic Christmas.  The longer I spend away from my family, the more I value the short and increasingly infrequent opportunities we have to spend time together; this Christmas I have been lucky enough to spend some time with nearly all of my most cherished family members - from completing puzzles with a young cousin to Christmas shopping with my mother and playing board games with my grandparents, I could not be more grateful for the chance to enjoy the company of those that I no longer see nearly often enough.

Anyway, the madness of the festive season is not yet over in my house; my 21st birthday party is tomorrow and there is still rather a lot to do!  While there are considerable obstacles to this party - I'm not entirely ready to accept the fate of being twenty-one and the timing of my birthday leaves something to be desired as far as party-planning goes - my family and closest friends will be here to celebrate with me and for that reason alone, I am extremely excited!

'Tis the season...

Wow, so I'm home for Christmas.  Already?!  I am utterly confused as to how almost four months of my life managed to flash by without me really noticing and land me back in England before I knew what was happening.  

While I have had an absolutely amazing time in France over the past few months, it's rather lovely to be back in sleepy Surrey for a while.  There's something wonderful about cosy evenings in front of the fire and home-cooked food that I've never managed to replicate when living away and I intend to maximise my enjoyment of all these home comforts during the next month - hopefully it will be enough to keep me going through the next five months of being abroad!

Having rather underestimated the chaos that always occurs at this time of year, as well as the mayhem that I have created for myself by leaving all of my shopping to the last minute, my absence from the blogging world has continued for far longer than anticipated.  However, I do promise an exciting and dramatic return after Christmas (and my 21st birthday!!) when I will have a brand new laptop and DSLR camera to play around with and possibly even some money to spend on lovely new things for my wardrobe...

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a Christmas playlist to fill your hearts with all sorts of festive joy.  I'm rather bored with the usual Christmas songs that surround us at this time of year, so instead have compiled an alternative playlist, brimming with slightly different but utterly festive songs - I hope you enjoy it!

an alternative christmas playlist

1. Nat King Cole - The Happiest Christmas Tree

2. The Hives & Cyndi Lauper - A Christmas Duel

3. Pet Shop Boys - It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas

4. The Wombats - Is This Christmas?

5. Lady Gaga & Space Cowboy - Christmas Tree

6. Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!

7. Twisted Sister - Heavy Metal Christmas

8. The Beach Boys - (I Saw Santa) Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

9. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

10. Slow Club - Christmas TV

11. The Raveonettes - Christmas Ghosts

12. Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop

13. The Kinks - Father Christmas

14. Sufjan Stevens - It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad!

15. The Beach Boys - Santa's Beard

16. The Who - Christmas (Remixed Album Version)

17. Sufjan Stevens - Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? Well, You Deserved It!

18. KT Tunstall - Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas In Hawaii)

19. Smash Mouth - The Christmas Song

20. Jackson 5 - Someday at Christmas

Happy Christmas!

So snow comes after fire, and even dragons have their ending. - J.R.R. Tolkien.

Jumper - Vintage, Leggings & Pearls - H&M, Boots - Zara.

My first ever outfit post; it's not even a particularly good outfit, but does accurately highlight my snow-induced obsession with all things knitted.  I've discovered that clothes shopping when it's icy cold outside is almost as unproductive as food shopping when hungry - my head is filled with desires for oversized jumpers and leather gloves when I should instead be focussing on Christmas gift ideas!

The past week has been absolutely manic, even by my usual too-rushed-off-my-feet-to-think standards and between exams and trying to say goodbye to everyone before I leave tomorrow, I've had no time at all to post anything of any real quality.  Sadly this period of frenetic activity will soon be a distant memory; as of tomorrow, I'll be back in the sleepy British countryside, most likely with more time on my hands than I know what to do with, so normal blogging should resume shortly.  

Anyway, I must continue with the rather laborious task of packing - trying to split all my worldly possessions between two suitcases, one destined for home and the other for Barcelona is certainly not an easy job, particularly for somebody who suffers from chronic indecisive-ness!

There is no delight in owning anything unshared. - Seneca.

Between the almost-Siberian winter that seems to be going on outside and the three exams that I must take in the next two days, it is rather difficult to remain upbeat at the moment - frozen toes and a revision-addled brain are certainly not conducive to maintaining a good mood!  Fortunately my spirits are fairly easily lifted with a bit of cheerful music and I have spent a little too much of the afternoon dancing around my room in an oversized jumper, leggings and very thick socks.

As Spotify has been encouraging me to do so at every possible opportunity, and I have very little time or energy to post anything more extravagant, here is a sample of the playlist that has been fuelling occasional bursts of productivity in a largely procrastination-filled afternoon.  These twenty songs are hugely varied in their nature - some are long-standing favourites, while others are newly discovered gems that I cannot stop listening to,  however they are united by the fact that they have all served to brighten my mood and distract me temporarily from this rather dreary day. 

happyhappyhappy


1. Lykke Li - Let It Fall
2. Cage The Elephant - In One Ear
3. The Big Pink - Dominos
4. The Cribs - Cheat On Me
5. Florence + The Machine - Drumming Sound
6. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill
7. La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Mix)
8. Passion Pit - The Reeling
9. The Libertines - Time For Heroes
10. Regina Spektor - Eet
11. Animal Collective - My Girls
12. Marina And The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road
13. Biffy Clyro - The Captain
14. Empire Of The Sun - We Are The People
15. Cajun Dance Party - Colourful Life
16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
17. Kings Of Leon - Knocked Up
18. Le Tigre - Deceptacon
19. The Maccabees - No Kind Words
20. Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Right, I'm going to take my dancing self off to the kitchen to bake some chocolate brownies in a last-ditch attempt to distract myself from the three utterly terrifying exams that will monopolise the next forty-eight hours of my life.  Then maybe, just maybe, I'll settle down for an evening of hardcore revision. Ugh.

I'll be back soon, most likely in an exam-free state of ecstasy, and hopefully with some more inspired and interesting things to write about!  In the meantime, happy listening - let me know what you think?

'Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes. - William Wordsworth.

The weather here continues to deteriorate at a rather concerning rate; what began as a slightly wet and windy week has ended with rapidly declining temperatures and a brief flurry of snow.  While this sparked some initial excitement and served to enhance our already blossoming festive spirit, it soon became very apparent just how inconvenient a prolonged period of snow and biting cold would be and we all returned, rather speedily, to our previous stance of bemoaning the bad weather and longing wistfully for those all-too-distant summer months.

The sad fact of the matter is that we are only just entering the early stages of what I predict to be a rather long and miserable winter - one which I imagine will necessitate a variety of ingenious methods to ensure emotional survival!  One of my most successful winter coping mechanisms, aside from the frequent utilisation of woolly scarves, thick socks and cosy evenings spent by an open fire, involves fantasising about that elusive moment where one can cast their winter coat to one side and begin immersing themselves in the exciting new clothes of the moment.

This technique is already being heavily employed as an antidote to the depression which would be otherwise inevitable when faced with months of 'sensible' dressing - a rather dreary prospect, lessened considerably by the inspiring trends which seem to be emerging for Spring 2010 (I still can't quite get used to writing that, is 2009 really almost over?!)  For a self-confessed pattern junkie, the most eagerly anticipated of these trends is the wonderful amount of floral patterning which is currently sweeping across runway shows and will undoubtedly be popping up in high street stores everywhere in the springtime.

Left - Chanel,  Centre - DKNY,  Right - Christian Dior

Left - DKNY,  Centre - Marni,  Right - Dolce & Gabbana.

Left - DKNY,  Centre - Richard Chai,  Right - Adam.

I quite simply cannot get enough of floral patterns at any time of year - a quick glance into my wardrobe over here reveals at least five items featuring some sort of pretty, petal-inspired motif, without even considering the vast amount of clothes that I have left in England - and I particularly feel that putting emphasis on the use of florals in the Spring is utterly wonderful.  What better way could there possibly be to emerge from the bleak monotony of winter than with these bright, beautiful patterns, symbolic of new life and all that the springtime encompasses?

Photos - Elle.com

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. - Francis Beacon.

After an unusually long absence from the blogosphere, I am back, and not without some stories to tell.  A sudden disappearance which I feel can be reasonably justified by such an uncharacteristically manic and exciting weekend - one which stretched from Saturday right through until Tuesday no less!  It was, of course, the weekend of the annual Fête des Lumières in Lyon and so the whole city descended into absolute chaos.

It was a wonderful sort of chaos though; huge crowds of people filled the streets and it was difficult to get anywhere with any speed, but everybody was feeling particularly cheerful and we were all quite content to slowly meander through the streets, enjoying the incredible light displays and sampling the vin chaud from various different street vendors along the way.  Quite apart from the fact that half of France seemed to have come to join in with the festivities, we also had several visitors of our own, with friends and family members from every corner of the globe (or at least Europe) making the journey to Lyon, hoping to see the city in all its festive glory.

This opportunity to play host in a city that I have been living in for several months, but have still not full explored, allowed me to discover a few new things myself and made me rather proud to call this city my home (or at least my home-for-now!)  The festival itself was utterly amazing; I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but it certainly exceeded any expectations I may have had!  There was such an incredible amount to see, with exhibits ranging from gigantic, themed light displays on the city's major buildings to indoor laser shows and the projection of 'La Dolce Vita' on the fountain at the Place des Jacobins.  With more than seventy individual light installations - some of which were far more spectacular than others - it would have been all but impossible to get to them all in only four days, but we did our best to see as many as we could and I feel confident that we did the festival justice.

Unfortunately, the photos taken on my 4 megapixel, point and shoot camera leave something to be desired - I feel it would be rather unfair, having raved on about how spectacular all these exhibits were, to share my rather blurry and lacklustre pictures with you, so I have instead selected some of the very best photos from the 'Fête des Lumières' group on Flickr, which will give you a far better idea of just how wonderful the weekend was.

An Ode to Topshop...

Yet another afternoon lost, sucked into that oh-too-familiar black hole of online shopping, never to be returned or used for more productive pursuits.  Oh well, why change the habit of a lifetime?!  In all seriousness though, I was utterly captivated by Topshop.com for a good couple of hours and probably wouldn't have stopped there if Sophie hadn't arrived to drag me out of the flat and force some actual human interaction.  I don't know if it's due to my current lack of funds and unfortunate global positioning which make any non-hypothetical purchases all but impossible, or if Topshop are now making their clothes (and bags and shoes and hats and jewellery......) out of magical fairy dust which instantly makes them more appealing? 

Whatever they're doing, they're definitely on the right track - my usual game of 'let's fill my shopping basket with as many items as possible before I realise that I can't afford any of it and quickly step away from the computer' led to some phenomenally unrealistic numbers appearing at the bottom of the screen.  I couldn't help myself; so many wonderful dresses/shoes/bags/hats/necklaces/{insert any item of clothing here} all in one place, it was all I could do to keep my already battered debit card firmly in my bag (in reality, the whereabouts of my debit card are irrelevant - years of online shopping have left my bank details permanently imprinted on my brain, but you get the metaphor...)

I had to distract myself somehow and prevent the financial ruin that would undoubtedly occur should I allow myself to make even one purchase - it's a slippery slope, and one that I would quickly tumble down, landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.  This distraction came in the form of collage compilation, and so I proudly present a relatively small selection (when compared to the contents of my basket!) of hypothetical 'must-haves' that would find themselves in my wardrobe in a heartbeat, should money suddenly become no object.

1. Vintage Sequin Beret - £16 - I need a hat, Lyon is incredibly cold at the moment and sequins as well as a warm head? This beret is my idea of heaven!

2. Parisian Wedges - £130 - I feel no explanation is necessary here, just look at them, they are beautiful!

3. Velvet Cameo Cross Body Bag - £30 - Velvet-y perfection in bag form. I'm still struggling to convince myself I can live without it.

4. Pearl Double Fabric Belt - £35 - A belt like this would bring a touch of class and elegance to any outfit - who doesn't need that in their lives?!

5. Sequin Mini Skirt - £85 - More sequins?  Not really surprising, it is my wish-list after all...
6. Velvet Bow Playsuit - £60 - Velvet is rapidly making its way on to my list of obsessions, after all, who doesn't enjoy wearing clothes that everybody wants to stroke?! 
7. Striped Gold Button Cardigan - £28 - The first practical item on this list - everyone needs cardigans in the winter; this one might actually manage to worm its way into my wardrobe!
8. Cameo Print Purse - £20 - I love the cameo print and the monochrome colours, it's just a shame that Topshop will soon have all my money and I'll have no need for a purse.
9. Diamante High Waisted Hotpants - £35 - The word diamante would normally put me off, but for some reason I'm still lusting after them.  I think the 'high-waisted' element must counteract it somehow.
10. Bow Charm Bangle - £8 - Big, bangle-y goodness with added bows and beads?  I realise this sounds like a cereal advert - I think this bracelet would improve my mornings more than Special K ever could.
11. Fur Trapper Hat - £22 - Another sensible suggestion - everybody needs warm ears in the depths of winter and your head will be so much happier in a beautiful (faux) fur hat!
12. Leather Metallic Bag - £25 - Wonderful colour, beautiful gold edging and big enough to actually put things in - a match made in bag heaven?!
13. Large Flower Ring - £14 - Obnoxiously large rings are definitely the way forward, especially when they're flower-shaped.
14. Sherbert Bow Platform Shoe - £70 - Monochromatic without being boring, bows without being cutsey, what a delicious combination!

And my hypothetical spending spree comes in at the rather terrifying total of £578!  Well, who needs to pay rent anyway?!

We've found a witch, may we burn her?! - Monty Python.

Wow, so it's December already?!  Where exactly has 2009 gone?  While part of me is absolutely terrified by how quickly time is passing, I cannot help but be insanely excited about the wonderful things that this month will undoubtedly bring - three more weeks of fun in Lyon before I will return to England for Christmas, birthdays and time spent with some of my very favourite people, all of whom have been rather too absent from my life as of late.  Ooooh I cannot wait!

December also brings with it the excitement of advent calendars; I refuse to accept that I am too old to open windows and eat chocolate first thing in the morning, even if it is now integrated into my morning coffee and make-up routine rather than as a special Christmassy treat after cereal and orange juice.  There is a small part of me that secretly uses it as a countdown to my birthday and for this reason I believe I will never be too old for this rather child-like activity!  This morning's window revealed a jolly little snowman, bringing some festive cheer to an otherwise cold and unremarkable day.

Unremarkable, that is, until the particularly enjoyable events of this evening: I have just got back from a screening of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' at a Terry Gilliam retrospective which has taken over l'Institut Lumière for the foreseeable future.  Aside from the fact that the man is clearly a film-making genius, Monty Python has a rather special place in my heart; I was essentially brought up on their films and sketches, and when I wasn't watching them, I was having lengthy sections quoted at me by my father (and at times my brother!)  As I am rather far away from home at present, it was lovely to do something that reminded me so strongly of them both, along with all of our silly family jokes - I suspect I'll be back to see rather too many of the other Gilliam films showing between now and the end of the month!

Anyway, I must now take myself to bed - I have a French grammar exam tomorrow and a rather distressing amount of work to complete before the weekend comes around, bringing with it many visitors and the excitement of the Fête des Lumières.

Goodnight.

Photos - Flickr