Last week was a blur of lectures, seminars, poetry workshops and cup after cup of coffee. In my little pockets of spare time, I found solace in loosing myself on Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram etc... Here are some bits and bobs I came across!
I usually get the firs tingle of Christmas when I see the Coca Cola 'holidays are coming!' advert, but this year it was when I saw this...
Alright, I know we haven't even passed Halloween yet but in my book, it's never too early to be excited for Christmas. No seriously, I've been excited since August! Even though it's probably the most expensive advent calendar in the world (at a whopping £85), the products are mostly cult classics and the whole book of shadows / spell book aesthetic is so up my street! Half of me is saying it works out a mere £3.50 a day, bargain! & the other half is saying Daisy, that's almost three weeks commute! I dream of a world where Selfridges accepts student discount.
For many moons now, I've been following beauty guru Lisa Eldridge's channel on Youtube and as far as I'm concerned, her word is gospel. Lisa recently shared her facial massage routine and it's instantaneously become a staple in my evening skincare routine. Every night since, I've been using her techniques and massaging my face with a dot of coconut oil. It's undoubtedly the highlight of my day and mind blowingly relaxing, thanks to her soporific voice. You can almost feel all your troubles unknotting. Lisa also dubs it THE holy grail of anti-ageing!
Most nights, I find myself re-reading old Rookie Mag articles and getting lost in their utter brilliance. Last week I came across a blinder about protecting your vision in my bookmarks and think everybody should read it. It's beautifully written by one of my favourite illustrators Hattie Stewart. Every time I'm having a wobble (usually on Monday mornings), I skim read this and feel like joining her and Diana Vreeland, sat on the edge of the world looking out at everything. Also, whenever I'm faced with a set back or loss of momentum, I repeat her mantra: don't get mad, get (insert passion here). Get writing. Get painting. Get moving and shaking!!
Hattie also generously shares her top tips on how to swim through the mud to clear water more smoothly than she did. Gold Dust woman...
Time is often your best friend as an artist — if no one understands you today, keep going - someone will tomorrow.
I make a point of feeding my imagination.
Sticking with the theme of perseverance and empowerment, another favourite last week was Charlotte Tilbury's Makeup Your Destiny campaign. A bunch of celebrities have been starting a movement in which they share photos of their younger self beside a current photo and impart wisdom to their younger selves. My favourite so far has to be Kate Moss' stellar advice: STICK TO YOUR GUNS GIRL! I thought I'd give it a whirl...
Advice I would give to my younger self:
LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY! Grab every travel opportunity with both hands. Remember nana's wise words "it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!". Hug mum at least three times a day, you'll miss her when you're at uni more than you can imagine. Don't worry as much, everyone else is making it up as they go along too! Love your body for it holds your beautiful mind. Go to Greek school, you'll thank mum when you're older! (I'd also cheekily tell my past self about the time and location of Prince's secret London gigs earlier this year, as I waited unsuccessfully for three hours... I'd make sure I'm first in line) & finally remember you can always put your hands in your pockets and walk away!
I stumbled upon this quote on Instagram last week and had to share it with you. I think we all have those moments and can relate...
I'm SO in love with the name Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling have chosen for their Hey Girl: Esmeralda. They've named their tot after the gypsy from one of my favourite Disney films, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Adorable name for what I can only imagine to be one of the most adorable babies in Hollywood.
From one gypsy to another. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat all week after reading this article. First of all, it's a collaboration made in music heaven. Secondly, imagine Stevie Nicks inviting you to her home, representing you with a moon pendant necklace in a dark-velvet sachet and pronouncing you 'Sisters of the Moon'. LIFE GOAL.
Here's Haim and the Gypsy Queen's haunting rendition of Rhiannon...
She is like a cat in the dark and then she is the darkness...
LOVE the black velvet Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane cape Este's rocking!
& here's the actual interview for The New York Times' T Magazine.
Here's my favourite extract...
Before I could ask a question, Nicks began explaining what she had learned about self-presentation from Parisian women during her holiday in France, and conversation turned naturally to stage dressing. “Whatever it is that makes you feel fantastic and free — you need to get three copies of that,” Nicks advised. Upon returning to L.A. from her first Fleetwood Mac tour, she had approached a designer friend and said, “I wanna look like a Dickensian character that walks the wharfs of London.” As she spoke she drew an illustration of the outfit on a lined yellow legal pad, showing how her shirt became like wings when she raised her arms. Later, she would impulsively sign and dedicate the drawing to the girls.
I also just love that Stevie uses the phrase '...until the cows come home'.
And Finally, can we all just take a moment to acknowledge that last week Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize, at the age of seventeen. Words can't even begin to scratch the surface of how inspirational, courageous and selfless Malala is.
Malala symbolises hope and light in a far too often gloomy world.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
