Thinking Out Loud

I briefly mentioned Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' in my last post, but thought that it was worth mentioning it again for this week's song. It is my favourite song on his recent album 'X', with my next favourite being 'Photographs.' Both lyrics are so beautiful and I have to admit, that the first time I heard 'Thinking Out Loud', I did get a bit teary.

I honestly don't even know how I can put his lyrics to justice, so I'm just going to put his lyrics for the first half of the song on here:

When your legs don't work like they used to before

And I can't sweep you off of your feet

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?

Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70

And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

And I'm thinking about how people fall in love in mysterious ways

Maybe just the touch of a hand

Well me, I'll fall in love with you every single day

And I just wanna tell you I am

So honey now

Take me into your loving arms

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Place your head on my beating heart

I'm thinking out loud

That maybe we found love right where we are...

That is the most beautiful thinking aloud ever! Especially if you compare what my thinking aloud is, which usually consists of verbal diarrhoea talking about absolute nonsense, or accidentally sounding really rude because the tone just naturally comes out really sarcastic.  

Ed Sheeran's lyrics to his love songs are just perfect, like his songs 'Autumn Leaves', 'Kiss Me' and 'Wake me up'... one of the youtubers that I watch once actually described Ed Sheeran's music as "comfort food music"; meaning that it just makes you feel good inside when you listen to it. It's so true and his second album is certainly a reliable comforter just like his first. Mind you, I think my favourite album of the two, is still '+', but that may be because I'm more familiar with it. Either way, Ed Sheeran writes quality songs. 

Christmas Time

There is no doubt about it: Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. Everything about it is so magical! For the past few days it's been all about family and food, which are two fantastic f words.

I thought today I'll just share some of the traditions that my family does during this period. I don't know about other families, but mine celebrates Christmas Eve just as much as Christmas Day, so it really is a marathon of Christmas bliss. On Christmas Eve we visit my mums side of the family, spending the day visiting various aunts, uncles and cousins and just eating, talking and playing with the younger kids. Dinner is at my nonna's house, where we have a massive bowl of pasta before visiting some more family and eating more food. I think I gained 5 kilos just from that one day because the amount of food that is provided is excessive and because "it's Christmas, I'm allowed to be a glutton" that means we eat even past the point where you feel full.

Vicar of Dibley Christmas pretty much sums up how much food I eat

Also on Christmas Eve at my aunt's house, one of my cousins dresses up as Santa for the little kids and hand out all their Christmas presents. This year, my two year old cousin (who has now begun talking really well) when he saw Santa ran to his mum and said: "he's not taking me" which I thought was the funniest thing. I can't really bring how cute he is to justice, you just need to take my word for it that this kid is truly the cutest kid ever!

Christmas Day is spent on my dad's side of the family and every second year the traditional Christmas lunch is held at our house. This year was our turn, which is what I prefer because that means we end up with all the left overs which we get to eat on Boxing Day and I think we have enough food to last us the entire weekend. We start the day with mum, dad and I exchanging gifts under the Christmas tree and then it is all about the food: entree brought by my uncle, main of roast turkey and vegetables and then dessert is Christmas pudding with custard and brandy butter then Christmas cake and then ending the meal with a cup of Christmas Tea (which tastes similar to chai tea with all the mixed spices- it's officially my favourite tea) and short bread and mince pies.

Christmas night is usually spent watching a dvd if I got one for Christmas, and this year I got the dvd 'Sunshine on Leith' which I saw in the middle of the year and absolutely loved it, so I was extremely excited last night to finally watch it again. And then we watched the 'Royal Variety Show' that was showing on tv, which is hilarious with really entertaining comedians, singers and dancers. This year, the host (who I can't really remember the name of, sorry) was so funny and was one of the highlights, as well as the performance of 'Thinking out loud' by Ed Sheeran.

But Christmas doesn't end yet, because today was what I have officially labeled as "Christmas recovery day," where I don't leave the house because Boxing Day sales freaks me out a bit, and I just graze on the left overs while just relaxing because eating food non-stop for two days straight is exhausting work. And then in the evening is the Doctor Who Christmas Special, which I thought was really good this year. My parents thought it was okay but a bit confusing, and it certainly was a bit 'Inception-esque' but I thought the story was really well thought out and it was entertaining and a great way to end my favourite time of year.

Sorry about that overload about my past few days, I just love reliving Christmas memories. But despite my self-absorbed post today, I do hope you all had a very Merry Christmas as well! xxx

As Time Goes By

Over the past few days, I have been getting heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps of songs. I would like to think of it as my Christmas present to myself. Discovering new music is always one of the things that cheers me up and makes me feel excited, because, let's be honest, when discovering new combinations of exquisite notes and lyrics, a whole new perception of the world is opened up to you... or is that just me? I just am so excited about these new songs to my collection and can't actually put it into words because I'm just too enthusiastic about these new discoveries (sorry if I'm not making any sense).

The first song that I purchased in this music binge was the timeless classic 'As Time Goes By' sung by Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra has such a wonderful voice and it brings about a sense of nostalgia for the past which is somewhat glamorised, but I guess for someone who is in love with history, I really do like imagining the glittering time of jazz. But another reason why I decided to use this song for this week, is because the title itself sums up December really well. December in my opinion feels like the shortest month of the year, because there is all this build up to Christmas and before you know it, Christmas is here and then all of a sudden it's the New Year... the month just flies past. I still can't believe that Christmas is only a few days away: it's crazy! Where did the year go? Time really does go by...

I was introduced to the song by the 1990's BBC television series 'As Time Goes By', which stars Judy Dench and Geoffrey Palmer. My family has the box set and we watch it every few years because it is so sweet, about a man and a woman who fall in love again after forty years of living their own separate lives. It's not that well known amongst my generation, but I do love it despite the targeted audience is for more towards my grandma's age.

 

But back to the song itself: It is such a romantic song and should be considered as one of the most beautiful love songs ever. And I hope that you enjoy it.

Summer adventure #3- St Kilda

Last weekend my friend and I spent the day at St Kilda. It was the spare of the moment decision because we knew it was going to be an amazing weather and we wanted to do something that would make the most of it. It may not have been a complete 'adventure' of unknown territory, however neither of us had visited there in many years, so I'm just going to count it as part of the 'Summer adventures' anyway.

Because it was Sunday, the famous Esplanade had it's market along the street which was perfect for Christmas present shopping. There were jewellery stores (where my friend bought a really lovely necklace), clothes stores, as well as plenty of knick-knack stores. I really liked the local artist stores, where we saw their paintings, but my absolute favourite stores were the ones that were food stores and they had tastings, because let's be honest here: free food is one of the best things ever! We got to try olive oils and vinegars, nougat, chocolate drinks, teas, honey coated nuts, etc.

And of course, after exploring the various of stores, we walked along the beach. Because we didn't plan the day out, we didn't have our bathers, but that didn't stop me from running towards the ocean and walk in the water. The beach is one of my favourite places to be, because it is one of those places where you can act like a three year old and no one cares. We hung out on the pier for a while and just took in the scenery, while eating ice-cream (blood orange and lemon sorbet) and we completely lost track of time... I had a lovely day and I know that we have to go back again soon because I am ashamed to say that I have never gone to Luna Park before. We walked outside it and took a photo by the mouth gateway, but I have never ever gone on any of the rides, so I guess it is on my 'to do' list: I want to go to Luna Park and have fairy floss there.

Luna Park 

Happy

Last night there was meant to be a meteor shower at 11pm, so I went outside and stared up at the sky... I saw three meteors so it was more of a meteor drizzle, but I wasn't disappointed because I was transfixed gazing at the stars. It was really beautiful and I can't believe that I don't notice the night sky that often, like properly notice it. And I felt really happy and I was lucky enough to have the perfect song stuck in my head at the time, and that song is the new release of Marina and the Diamonds' "Happy".

It is so delicate and beautiful- such a sweet and touching song that is hopeful and reassuring. It has a different feel to all of her previous songs, which are quite dark, but this one seems to be more of an epiphany song, realising that she believes that she is "finding what [she] is looking for within [her]self" and "finding a way to be happy"... It is just such a wonderful song that she released a few days ago and is going to be included in her 'Froot' album which is going to be coming out in early April next year (can't wait!)

For me, this song is now going to be associated with that memory of looking at the meteor drizzle and having that feeling of contentment, which is a wonderful state to be in. So I hope that when listening to this song, you too can experience a happy moment as well. 

Re-decorating for Summer

Every now and then I have a strong urge to re-decorate things. For example, once I woke up and spontaneously felt like moving the bookshelf that was in the lounge, into my bedroom where it was much needed, because my already existing book shelf (that is quite small), was overflowing. So I dedicated an entire day moving around the furniture in my room to try and fit this new addition into my room. Nothing could stop me!

And the same goes for re-decorating my blog- I don't know how to navigate this very well, because technology hates me- but I love changing it every now and then. I'm going to miss my winter blog setting, with the night sky filled with stars, but as it is heading into summer and the days are getting lighter and lighter and warmer, I think it is only appropriate to give it a new 'coat of paint.'

The 'Winter look' 

I also would like to take this opportunity to put the side-quotes into the spotlight. I chose these quotes to feature on my blog because I am like a magpie when it comes to quotes. I love them, and I like collecting them, like a magpie likes collecting shiny things. My bedroom walls have quotes stuck up on them, so pretty much everywhere you look, there is writing and inspiration. These quotes, I find ring out true and are motivational too, which are always good to look at when times get a little tough:

"Close your eyes and let the music set you free" Phantom of the Opera

"Every person is a new door to a different world" Anonymous

"Devote today to something so daring even you can't believe you're doing it" Opera Winfrey

"Be who you are and say what you feel because who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" Dr Seuss

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away" Maya Angelou

"Not all those who wonder are lost" J. R. R. Tolkien

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely" Roald Dahl

"Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish you had been all along" Rae Smith

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other" Audrey Hepburn

"Dream your dreams with your eyes closed, but live you dreams with your eyes open" Anonymous

"And for that one moment while the music plays, you know who you are and everything you wish to be" Kellie Elmore

"Music is the universal language of the soul" Anonymous

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy" Anne Frank

"You were born an original, don't die a copy" John Mason

"You're mad. Bonkers. Off your head... but I'll tell you a secret... all of the best people are." Lewis Carroll

Pride

I'm really fussy when it comes to movies and because of this I don't go to the cinema that often, but this year I've seen a pretty great collection of films, the latest of which was definitely my second favourite (after 'Sunshine on Leith'). 'Pride' was an excellent movie that made me laugh, cry and is just a feel-good film; I left the cinema feeling that little bit better because the story (which is actually based on a true story) is so incredible.

Set in 1984 Britain, when the miners' strikes were occurring, a group of homosexuals begin raising money to help the miners and their families, creating the LGSM (Lesbian and Gays' Support the Miners), which forms an unlikely alliance between these two groups of people. It is such a beautiful story and quite heartbreaking how the LGSM are treated because of their lifestyle choices and it is because of this that the 'National Union of Mineworkers' didn't want to accept their support, but the group decide to choose a Welsh miner's village, Onllwyn, where their donations were going to directly. Despite prejudice and homophobia from a number of the villagers, this alliance grew to a sturdy friendship and was a success making a massive difference for the people of Onllwyn.

LGSM

'Pride' was not only a feel-good film, but was also honest about the treatment of gays during those times and with the growing fear of AIDS, there is certainly important issues that are brought into focus.  Using the words from Geoffrey Macnab, that the script holds "broad comedy with subtle observation" which I agree with. The script is evidently written with such care and sensitivity, which makes the film so striking and really makes the audience feel. It is an all-star cast of such talented actors (coincidentally one of them, George MacKay- who played one of the very few fictional characters in the film- was in 'Sunshine on Leith') including Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton, all of them portraying their characters, most of whom are based on the real people, who are really heroic and I'm really glad that their actions have been brought to the screen so they will be remembered.

I really recommend watching this fabulous movie, as the story is truly heart-warming. 

Cilla

A few weeks ago the three part series 'Cilla' was televised about Cilla Black. Cilla Black is a singer from Liverpool, as well as an entertainer, her most famous song would be 'You're my world' from 1964, which reached number one. It is a cover of the Italian song which wasn't very popular when it was first recorded in 1963, however British record producer George Martin saw potential in this ballad, turning to Black for a recording. 'Black' I discovered when watching the tv series, became Cilla's stage name when there was a typo in the paper; her real name is White, however when she saw this mistake she thought it as a great name to adopt.

The show 'Cilla' is about her life in the 1960's as an amateur singer at clubs in Liverpool, where she would sing alongside bands like The Beatles in their early career and where she meets Bobby Willis who becomes her 'road manager.' Her rise to fame is featured in the second and third part, when Brian Epstein (who was also the manager for The Beatles) shows interest in her talent and begins her career in music which promptly takes off, as well as focusses on her relationship with Bobby. The show ends with the tragic death of Epstein, but provides a brief summary about Cilla's life after this period that the show is about. I found the series really interesting and an enjoyable watch, especially as I had heard of Cilla Black before, but didn't really know that much about her. If you have the chance, I would recommend watching it if you are interested in music/ musicians from the 60's. The 

November readings

Six months later

An incredibly intriguing read, 'Six months later' by Natalie Richards, is a mystery thriller about a high school girl who falls asleep one study hall and wakes up to find that six months has past and she has no recollection of what happened during that time. But she wakes up and finds that her life has changed quite dramatically: once she was a mediocre student, but now she is one of the top in her year level; her best friend is no longer talking to her and her crush is now suddenly her boyfriend, despite her now having unexplained feelings for the 'bad-boy' of her school. There is something sinister that is happening, and it is up to Chloe to find out what. While reading, I was really intrigued by the concept, and even though some of the ideas are a bit far fetched, doesn't mean that I enjoyed any less. Also, at the moment I am writing a story about a girl who has amnesia, so it was interesting to see how someone else conveyed a deficit of memory.

8/10

Misfit

Since she was eight years old, Jael knew that she was half human, half demon. And because of that, her and her ex-priest father have moved around countless times in order to protect her from demons who want to kill her (because half-demons are considered a threat to the order of hell). 'Misfit' by Jon Skovron was a good read- not a must read, but it there was nothing wrong with it- I especially enjoyed the flashbacks that Jael sees of her parents when they met and how we, alongside Jael discover more about her background and why she is so important. The way the book ended, it seemed like it could potentially lead on to a sequel, but it also works well as a stand alone novel, which I believe it is.

6.5/10



Transcendence

'Transcendence' is the first book in the series by C. J. Omololu, and the idea is really interesting: using the theory about reincarnation and adding on to the idea that only a few people can remember their past lives. These people are called Akhet, who use their knowledge and skills collected from their past to help make the world better, however, their are also the rogue and evil Akhet's too. Cole is a teenager from San Francisco who begins to see visions of different lives, which leads her to meeting the gorgeous Griffon, who is another Akhet and offers to help her come to terms with what she is. Meanwhile, someone is out to get Cole, in revenge of something that happened in another time.

7/10

Intuition

This is the second instalment of C. J. Omololu's series about the Akhet's Cole and Griffon, but now a new love interest is introduced. I thought the first book was much better, because it just seemed that there was a lot of build up in 'Intuition' to the climax but then the resolution was just so brief and wasn't as developed as it could have been. So I think I was a bit disappointed with this sequel and just think the story should have stopped after the first book. However, I think the storyline in this book was really good, it just needed to have a bit more 'oomph' (I couldn't think of a word for it).

6/10



Coincidentally, I've just realised that those four books are all about memory (to some degree)- don't you love it when things just connect like that and you don't even realise? Anyway...

Jumping off swings

This is a short novel by Jo Knowles, the story told over the point of view of four different characters and how they react to the consequence of a one night stand. Ellie finds herself pregnant, her best friend Corinne is trying to be supportive, while Josh is ashamed of how he acted that night he hooked up with Ellie and Caleb is caught in the middle of being a good friend. Because the book is short and the narrative jumps, some of the characters didn't develop completely, however I still would recommend this book as a quick read, because it covers such important concepts that are relevant to real people's lives which are often hushed about. You also get favourite characters within the short time you read this, mine being the story of Corinne and Caleb; Corinne being the one with the most personality.

7/10

DUFF

Duff is the horrible abbreviation of 'Designated Ugly Fat Friend' and by just judging this book by it's title and cover, a reader can already tell that it is a teenage novel about someone discovering who they are and where they belong with their friends and family. Which is what Kody Keplinger's book is about, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it immensely. Bianca Piper one day gets referred to as the 'Duff' out of her friends by the "womanising playboy" of the school, Wesley, which sets her into a whirlwind of anger and hatred that she already felt towards him. However, with the pressure of family drama, she ends up using Wesley as a means of escape. The relationship between the two is complicated, which adds to the complicated life that Bianca is already leading, and you can't put the book down because the writing style of first person is engaging. Bianca has a fiery personality which makes it easy to like her, however sometimes you just want to yell at her and tell her what she should be doing, which just makes it an even more engaging. The book teaches you that the idea of a 'Duff' is obsolete as people should not judge each other because underneath it all, we are all just confused in the world. I would read this book again because I enjoyed it so much and I really want to read some more of Keplinger books.
(Also I found out that it is being made into a movie)

9/10

Summer adventure #2- Sale

Sometimes even a night away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life makes the world of difference. This weekend, my friend and I left home on the Saturday morning and drove to Sale- a country town in Gippsland- and spent the night with her family before leaving again on the Sunday afternoon. I haven't gone to Sale before and I absolutely loved it, as I really needed a break from the city life, especially enjoying walking around the lakes and then going to the park when it was darker and playing on the playground (because even though we are nineteen, it doesn't mean we should stop enjoying the flying foxes).

It was nice catching up with my friends and having a mini holiday, especially with the weather being perfect on the Saturday. On the Sunday, I pretty much just ate the entire day: breakfast was a poached egg, bacon and hash brown inside an English muffin; lunch was a barbecue and then a mango smoothie; and when I got home, I was welcomed by my parents with a roast turkey (we were having a rehearsal of Christmas lunch I guess).

While we were still in Sale, my friend and I visited the local art gallery, where there was an exhibition of Bill Henson's (who is a photographic artist) called 'Dark Desire' which was really interesting to look at and read about. The photographs' alternated between images of landscape and of people, each emphasising the shadows and the contrasts between the darkness and light and with this juxtaposition, such intensity is created for the viewer. I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition, with the composition demonstrating the complexities of what darkness and light actually is in a natural state as well as a psychological and emotional state.

Bill Henson's 'Untitled CL SH686 N26' 2008/09

Amongst the walks, the park, visiting a farm, the art gallery and eating heaps, I think my favourite part of the weekend was the chance to spend time with my friend. It really proves that it doesn't matter where you go on adventures,  it is the company that is the most important thing and what makes the adventure the most fun. I'm looking forward to the next adventure. 

Waste

This weekend, my friend and I went away and on the car trip home yesterday, one of the things we listened to was the album 'Torches' by Foster the People, which we both agreed saying that it is a flawless album with every single song being fantastic. One of the enjoyments of this album is that if we weren't in a car and driving, we would have no trouble dancing around to all the songs, but because of being in the car, it is also an album that you can just listen to and sing along to... well, when I say sing along to, I really need to clarify what that means in regards to Foster the People. They are a brilliant band, however it is really hard to understand a lot of the words that are being sung, so when singing, it is more like mumbling along with enthusiasm, shouting out the odd word that we do know and then joining in whole heartedly when the chorus comes on. Because Foster the People are an indie pop (with indietronica) band, there is also plenty of opportunity to impersonate the different sounds that are woven into the songs.  

'Pumped up kicks' is definitely their most famous song on the album, but today I'm going to share their song 'Waste' which I absolutely love and is a fantastic song for a Summer road trip. It was 35 degrees and sunny, and being with one of my closest friends and having no cares in the world in that moment, this was the perfect song for the day.