Bibbidi-Bobbidi Bits & Bobs #10

Happy Friday Petals!

Can you believe how fast September is flying by?! So far I've spent the month celebrating various pals 21st birthdays and adjusting back to life in gloomy Blighty. Next week I'm back to London to begin my final year of uni which is equally daunting and thrilling ~ I can't wait to get back in the swing of my creative writing course and see where my new assignments take me! 

As I'm back next week, I've been keeping my eyes open a little wider than usual for wackydooda things to inspire me. I thought I'd share a smorgasbord of things I've taken note of in the past few weeks that have caught my eye!

Sticking with the whole theme of university and the dreaded back to life, back to reality, I LOVE this hysterical Buzzfeed article about the nuts lengths us students resort to to save a buck. Calling all freshers: when times get tough, a game of poker with food at stake will see you through!

As a third year student, it goes without saying that I'm accustomed by now to thinking outside of the box to save cash and am able to stretch a £1. To get back into the groove of living a modest lifestyle, I've been following this '30-day minimalism challenge' that I stumbled upon on Tumblr...

I thoroughly recommend jumping on the bandwagon as some of these tasks have really made me re-evaluate certain aspects of my life and encouraged me to turn my phone on airplane mode a wee more often!

This glorious Buzzfeed article featuring breathtaking shots from some of the most magnificent cult movies of our time never fails to leave me in awe and bursting with inspiration. Whenever I find myself in a writing rut, I either go for a walk, pop the kettle on or scroll through my various 'things that make me happy' folders in which this features.

Psycho / Mulan / Big Fish / Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

I HAD to share this next video as it'll warm the cockles of your heart. There's a Speaking Exchange project in the states which enables elderly folks living in retirement homes to teach eager Brazilian kids English via the power of the internet... how heart warming and innovative!

This week saw the 99th birthday of one of my writing idols Roald Dahl ~ to celebrate I ate a slice of cake, made a wish and listened to his BBC Desert Island Discs from 1979!

Whilst on the subject of the BBC, I recently signed a petition to stop the BBC from axing Cbeebies and implore you to make a stand to. Although I wasn't living in the UK young enough to ever watch Cbeebies, lord knows I loved me some CBBC and unfortunately if one goes, it may create a domino effect! 

I don't know about you, but when I look back on my formative years, all the shows and presenters played a major role in my childhood. In fact, only the other day a friend and I were YouTubing old episodes of Watch My Chops / The Queen's Nose / Yvon of the Yukon and reminiscing!

Around about this time every year I declare my undying love for Burning Man festival and proclaim how I want need to go  ~ this year is no exception! This cosmic drone footage from 2013's spectacle has me dreaming of Nevada!

This photograph taken in 2003 of members of the Naobi Village performing an early morning ritual just so happens to be my current desktop background on my laptop and always brings a grin to my face!

Although I'm back at uni next week, I don't fly south for winter until Tuesday and on Monday in Trafalgar Square to celebrate World Peace Day, there will be a meditation session between 6:30pm - 7pm. If any fellow Londoners are reading, then the ins and outs of the gathering are here... Namaste!

I was recently struck by this article written by Mark Boyle, author of Drinking Molotov Cocktails with Gandhi, that I read on The Guardian which was both fascinating and alarming.

Resist, Revolt, Rewild.

As much as I love Corfu, it's wonderful being back in Manchester and experiencing the weird and wonderful events going on every day that always leave me a little poorer and inspired! There's a funky new pop up cinema taking the city by storm called Cult Sauce. They screen cult classics and provide food inspired by the movies - HOW AMAZING IS IT?! Their first screening just so happened to be one of my all time favourites The Goonies but was the night before I flew back to England *sob*  

Here's the menu from the night, the baby ruth sloth pots in

particular sounds incr-edible!

What has been inspiring you lately or made you chuckle?

OoO also, what was your favourite CBBC show?

Brew Break #28 Cundalini Wants His Hand Back!

Kalimera Petals!

Ok, ok, I know what I'm about to say is painfully cliché and I can already feel the wrath of hundreds - well how ever many people read my blog (hi mum) - of people's eyes rolling, but it's cliché for a reason: Everyone should own a leather jacket. I picked up my tatty one on my birthday some five years ago at the Topshop on Oxford Street and have lived in it ever since. Although they can be a wee pricey, they're an investment and when I think about price-per-wear it's peanuts!

When it comes to the big screen, the most iconic leather jacket undoubtedly belongs to Mad Max. If you haven't watched the dystopian cult classic, I implore you to do so ~ I recently caught 1 and 2 in a row at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square and was not disappointed! 

There's something so powerful about the feeling I get when I throw on my LJ, it's almost like wearing armour. A little trick I've always done to customise mine and give it a lil je nais se quois, is to add badges. 

I vividly remember around six years ago being inspired by a model off duty photograph I saw of Agyness Deyn ~ she was wrapped up in a LJ which was adorned with punk pins. Ever since I've collected pins on my travels and like to rotate them as they're a way of personalising my jacket.

I'm always on the hunt for new additions and screening Ebay for a neighbourhood witch and Ursula pin. My fiend Caitanya also has a wicked 'I still miss Elvis' badge which I adore!

I'd also LOVE to own a red LJ and attack it with safety pins à la Balmain...

For any Londoner's out there, there's a wicked comic book shop called Time Trek that I used to regularly scout out for hidden gems. It's also where I bought my beloved Padmé Amidala mug...

Lately I've really been throwing myself into my blog and getting into the groove of writing posts most evenings. I have high hopes for the direction in which I want to steer my content and one of them is that I'd love to feature more D.I.Y tutorials. When I'm down in London next week, I'll have a root for a few groovy patches that I intend to iron on my vintage denim jacket. If I have time, I'll nip into The Great Frog as they have a wicked coffin patch ~ although it's macabre and the polar opposite of my happy-go-lucky disposition, I think it would look so badass.

I was inspired by this funky ASOS video:

Who is your favourite Star Wars Character?

Be My Sister, Sister Of The Moon

When I first spotted these quirky barrettes at Céline's SS15 catwalk, I was inspired by their originality and chic/futuristic vibes.

Soon after I noticed these cosmic crowns at Chanel's Resort show in Dubai...

Chanel Catwalk FW12

I've since been on the hunt for a similar ethereal hair accessory so when I spotted this Luna barrette on ASOS, temptation got the best of me!

Although I haven't found the right occasion to wear this yet, I have a hunch that my 21st might be the night. I'm thinking of having a fairy tale themed do and encouraging my friends to dress up as elves, nymphs, fairies etc.

Here is a sneak peek at my 21st birthday party mood board...

Moon Headpiece by Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen SS07

I may have dressed up as Arwen for Halloween last year, but

I'm slightly tempted to dig out my cloak!

Gypsy Queen

...Although I'm leaning more towards Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Speaking Writing of all things celestial, in the same ASOS order I treated myself to this zodiac Me & Zena necklace...

The ring version is just as magnificent! *heart eyes emoji*

What did you do for your 21st birthday? 

Brew Break #27 I'm Laughing At Clouds

When it comes to blogging, there are certain holy grail products that crop up over and over again. Stila's eye shadow in kitten is renowned in the blogosphere and is a stunning champagne shade which is ideal for the inner corners of your eyes to make them pop. At £12 though, it's never found itself in my shopping basket. However, I recently spotted Stila eye-shadows on Look Fantastic's sale for a mere £5 each (!!) and couldn't resist.

I opted for espresso, rain, jade and black cat. 

I also picked up Real Techniques Setting Brush in the sale as I've heard numerous YouTubers rave about it ~ I've used it a few times and I must say, I'm delightfully impressed!

Espresso and rain are rather similar and will hopefully double up as an eyebrow filler. Jade was the wild card, I've recently been more experimental with my make up and been reaching for vibrant shades. Black Cat is a delicious charcoal hue and perfect for A/W!

Not only are the pigmentation of these divine, they're also mostly matte which is music to my ears and will no doubt become staples in my back-to-uni make up menus. Although it's early days, I've already received tons of compliments and have my eye on more shades. It must be love! 

L - R: Espresso / Black Cat / Jade / Rain

Have you ever tried any Stila products?

Summer Playlist 2015

Although I've been back in England for three weeks, summer doesn't end in my world until the first day back at uni. D-Day is creeping up on us and I am savouring every morsel of the last few days of summer - there will be claw marks on the 22nd. To celebrate another summer filled with laughter, wild nights and stardust, I thought I'd make a lil playlist!

If, on the off chance, you were wondering what I was listening to last summer, click here ;-)

(& Basically everything from Vice city's nostalgic radio stations!)

Run your fingers through my soul

I could bop around all day to this, in fact I just might!

Maybe you did, maybe you walked
Maybe you rocked around the clock

First you'll see me on the news, then never again

Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword

The clock is ticking its last couple of tocks

I'm knocking on the Devil's door

Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it

I've met the people that you read about in books

I'll give you laid back ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Ross can! Ross Can! Ross can get me the tickets!

A friend and I were recently sharing writing tips and got on the topic of writing with music. At university one of lecturers once gave us the task to write a horror scene. After twenty minutes, we were told to put down our pencils and close our eyes. He played the soundtrack to David Lynch's 1993 film Eraserhead. The eeriness that engulfed the room made my writing flow much more fluid, it was like magic.

Since then I've discovered certain radio stations and soundtracks trigger specific writing minds. Lately I've been listening/writing to Gustav Holst's The Planets on repeat - I'll let you guess what genre I'm currently exploring!

spellbinding

Speaking of radio stations, my favourites have to be BBC Radio 6, XFM and Classic fm. There's nothing more relaxing than catching Myleene Klass' late night show on a Sunday evening!

What is your summer anthem?

Brew Break #26 When the Moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Whilst in Greece I decided to take the plunge and cut my hair. Although I'd been contemplating it for a few months, it was the sweltering heat that was the nail in the coffin. My lion's mane felt quite smothering as if I was wearing a scarf, so one afternoon I reached for the kitchen scissors. It's not the first time I've chopped half my hair off and I'd be lying if I said there was a magic technique ~ as my hair is so wavy, I can just about get away with having uneven hair.

I thought I'd share a few photos from my hairspiration mood board...

(Basically any and every photo of Bianca Jagger)

My hair isn't quite a bob, I'd say it's definitely lob region, and the Toni&Guy casual rough texturiser spray is a godsend for my length - it's supposedly a dupe for the notorious oribe dry texturizing spray (which costs a whopping £39!). I was also umming and ahhing about buying Bumble & Bumble's semisumo pomade in Sephora, but I think it's one for the Christmas wish list!

Have you ever ever cut your own hair?

I 100% recommend doing a Mulan - use fear as your compass!