I love the java jive and it loves me..

What gets you out of bed in the morning?
For me, it's a good cup of coffee. I need it sweet and milky, but strong enough to give me that caffeine kick to get me ready for the day ahead. Starbucks regularly gives my bank account a bruising, and they recently released an instant coffee. Which is a little steep in price (unfortunately for me as it tastes beautiful) at £4.45 for a pack of 12 sachets.
I am in love with the flavour of the Columbian roast, which has a lovely mild flavour, and an amazing coffee smell. I'm rationing the samples of this that I was given, making sure that I can savour very sip before I run out.

Something else coffee related that blew my mind, was something I found today (which I had seen snippets of before) is coffee art. We've all seen stencils that make pretty patterns in cocoa on top of a cappucino, but this is another thing entirely. I honestly don't think I would drink these, because I think they are so beautiful!

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice....

A good friend of mine recently introduced me to an accessories site for a brand called Sugar and Vice. This may have been a bad move on her part, as my bank account is now sure to take a battering. They feature a great range of necklaces, as well as earrings, bracelets, brooches, and hair accessories.
It's almost painful looking at this site, everything on there is just so cute and, well I hate to gush, but just wonderful. With every click I find something else I want. In fact, if I had the money, you could pretty much guarantee I would own everything on this site.
Here are a few of the highlights, and, as you can see, everything is very reasonably priced too which makes it all the sweeter!

The Birdcage necklace £13.95


We Scream For Ice Cream! necklace £6.95


My Fair Lady earrings £6.95


Geisha Girl earrings £4.95


Painting the Roses Red necklace £11.95


Wing and a Prayer ring £8.95

Everything you see here available at http://www.sugarandvicedesigns.com/

Spring Clean

I've been thinking of going through my wardrobe (again) and getting rid of everything ill fitting, unflattering, and those dark, dark things that were never fashionable in the first place. I love my alternative side, but I think it would be nice to occupy the space with a few things that are a little more feminine. A friend of mine wiped away all my eyeliner (it took a long while, trust me) and put make up on me that was a little more understated, and I really liked it!
So I've been perusing the Spring/Summer 2010 shows for a little inspiration, and I think I've actually fallen in love with Rick Owens new collection. I love its monochrome and neutral colouring, as well as it's clean lines and shapes.





I've never been a big fan of jumpsuits, but I might have been converted...





The collection as a whole is beautiful in its simplicity, and it has a clean basic nature that means its style has a staying power that some of the more elaborate catwalk pieces lack.
The best wardrobe advice anyone can have when spring cleaning is to buy some beautiful basics, and THEN start collecting some more statement items.

Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die

Malcolm McLaren 22/01/1946-08/04/2010

Today, we lost a pioneer. A man at the forefront of the birth of Punk.

Malcolm McLaren, you will be remembered.

A Book is the Best Friend a Girl Can Ask For...

How much do you read?
I read quite a lot, which may come as a surprise given my obvious status as a massive film nerd. But I have so many happy memories of books, from hiding under the covers reading past my bedtime as a child to basking on sunny beaches abroad with a book for company. Right now, I have quite a sizeable stack of books to devour, which is probably a good thing with time on my hands as I read pretty quickly. As an aspiring writer, I also find that books help me a lot with my vocabulary, my spelling and they help to keep my brain working.
But what I love to read, is a classic. Bram Stoker, Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare. I especially like reading classics when the copy I get hold of is old. There's something quite magical about old books, with their creased spines, dusty, yellowing pages and that soft, musty (but not entirely unpleasant) old book smell. I imagine past readers experiencing the books as I do, taking each magical step across the pages as I do.
It makes me sad that generations younger than me aren't enjoying the classics. There was talk a while back about removing Shakespeare from the curriculum as it's not current anymore. NOT CURRENT? Shakespeare's writings are still as poignant today as the day they were penned.
And as much as I love Harry Potter, it'll be a cold day in hell when I refer to it as classic literature. I've heard a lot of noise on the internet recently about the Twilight Saga being a classic. As much as I have absolutely no desire to read said books, it must not be sad that I'm using this as an oppurtunity to slander them. Neither Harry Potter or Twilight is even close to old enough to be called a classic.
I have every intention of reading what I would call classic literature to my children (when I eventually have them). I think it would be a great shame if they didn't experience Alice in Wonderland or Black Beauty, or even Grimm's fairy tales like I did.

Clash of the Titans... good film, but not on par with godliness

So, another of my frequent movie related posts. Dontcha love how much of a film geek I am?
I went to see The Clash of the Titans yesterday, and I spent all last night trying to wrap my mind around how I feel about it. I will admit that (too my memory) I have never seen the original, so it's not even that I'm comparing it to its predecessor. It just leaves me feeling a little... indifferent.
Maybe it's just hard for me to wrap my head around because it wasn't what I expected.
I was expecting an all out fantasy epic with all the monstrous bells and whistles, what I was given was an action adventure, that I must admit was graphically very good. It's a good one to switch off to, as you don't have to think a great deal, but all the men I know who have watched it are sorely disappointed at its relatively gore free, family friendly nature.

But, enough of my film snobbery, let me focus on the movie's good points. As I've already said, it was graphically amazing, I have heard that it's not very good in 3D, so just as well I flat out refuse to watch 3D! Also very good was Liam Neeson playing Zeus, with Ralph Fiennes starring as his sinister-God-of-the-Underworld brother Hades. Both parts were cast very well, and it was a joy to see these actors performing.
I also REALLY liked the character of the djinn, (desert demon/magician type people) Despite looking pretty freaky and speaking no english, I found the character very endearing!

But weird desert men aside, my favourite scene was the part in Medusa's temple. Medusa was AWESOME.

So, to wrap it up, I guess what I'm trying to say is that the film is worth a watch, but be aware that it's not quite the epic you might expect it to be.

Hitting the big 5-0

So I know I'm kind of a bit slow on the uptake here, but as a long term fan I couldn't let the 50th birthday of iconic boots company Dr. Martens pass by without giving it a mention!
From the early days, to the punk era, to the owned-by-anyone-who's-anyone status it has achieved in recent years, they have never failed to deliver when it comes to good quality boots!
Whether you're all about the original, goes with everything basic black...

Or you like to stand out...

There's something for everyone!! Here are just a few of the styles I saw on their site that I am now lusting after

These remind me of bumblebees :) and that makes me smile!

Girly/tough contrast, would add a real edge to this springs floral trends

These are like a cooler version of some boots I had 3 years ago that are now ruined :( I'm thinking I might need to replace them with these come student loan day....

Punky and gorgeous

I can't think what to say about these monochrome florals... reminiscent of lace... just beautiful

Or if you really do want to stick with basic black, why not opt for the heeled versions?
Thank you Dr. Martens, for 50 years of glorious boots!!