Weekly Review: 13th-19th September 2010

I almost immediately regretted my decision to start these only vaguely interesting (and that only to me) posts, because it made me realise with startling clarity that I do absolutely nothing. But never fear my darling readers, when uni starts again and the October tour season commences (gig time baby), things will pick up a little. I'm hoping.

This week it was my mum's birthday! On the 16th, to be precise. This, of course, meant BAKING!That's a cat iced skilfully by me.

My dog loves birthday cake.

My mum is a champion cake-baker, so as a family we like to let her bake her own birthday cake. I'M JOKING! I love my mum more than anything in the worrrld, so I helped her out with the icing. Lemon cake is the best, almost as good as my mum. Happy birthday!


This week also saw me finally finish Death at La Fenice, by Donna Leon. One of my dad's friends recommended this series of books, about a police chief who lives and works in Venice. He let me borrow the first few novels in the series, but I've been so tired recently that I've only been mnaging to read on my lunch break - and that is only for half an hour a day. However, I finally finished it, and I really enjoyed it. It isn't especially fantastic writing - in fact, it is fairly standard, but the plot is great, and the fact that I have just been to Venice, and that it is one of my favourite places that I have ever visited, combined with the fact that when you're reading this book you really feel like you are walking the little canal-side streets of Venezia, made it incredibly enjoyable. I would highly recommend it if you want something to just delve into whenever you have a spare moment.A couple of photos from my trip. The lower one is me on a funny little bridge in Venice. The top one is the most venetian photo ever taken; I'm very proud of it, ha.


Next up on my ever-extending reading list was To Kill A Mockingbird. Somehow, through all the thousands of books that I have devoured in my lifetime, I have managed to miss this one out. But then my dad bought it for me a couple of weeks ago, and now after finally finishing Death at La Fenice, I could move on to it.I can't believe that I have never read it before. It's like there has been a huge gap in my education. I read almost all of it today - I still have 30 pages to go, so don't spoil the ending for me! Atticus is my hero.


The only 'new' film that I saw this week was Sean Penn's Into the Wild. I enjoyed it, but not, I think, for the reasons that you are supposed to enjoy it. The scenery was stunning; I loved that. And the sense of adventure that it awakens inside of you is frustratingly exciting. But am I the only one who found the lead character an absolutel tool? Am I the only one who thought that he was cruel and selfish and rude? It's all very well reading Jack London writings and jollying off to Alaska, but you could of at least send your sister a postcard, you inconsiderate bastard. But other than that, it's a pretty amazing film - visually, at least.

This week also saw the start of London Fashion Week! For me, this means only two things: Burberry Prorsum, and Alexa Chung. The first has already not disappointed:
And I am certain that on Tuesday, when Christopher Bailey's new collection is streamed live, that will not be disappointing either. I think we all remember last year's Spring/Summer collection...
Probably the most beautiful clothes not designed by Karl Lagerfeld to ever grace the planet.


Finally, thank you for all the lovely comments on yesterday's post! You guys are the best. You make my constantly dwindling self-confidence shoot right back up to normal levels, and for that I thank you. I will finish off with another little DIY project that I did:Sorry it's blurred, but that is a name necklace! The beads were 20p each from the craft shop near work. I would have done my full name, but I only had a couple of pounds, and I have to be sensible and make my money last until pay day. The comforting thought is that this necklace at least goes half way towards making me worry less about waking up with amnesia and not being able to remember my name.

Return To Sender

Hello! Bonjour! Ciao! Guten Tag! Ahoj!

I'm back!

Ok. I have actually been back since Friday, but I always forget how incredibly lazy I am, and the thought of typing and uploading photos when I could instead be doing something more amazing - like sleeping until 4pm - stressed me out. But today I am back at work (boo hiss boo), and so I am back to blogging about inane things in an attempt to pass the long hours that I have to sit at this desk and book appointments for diabetics (my job is, like, so cool).

However, in a giant fail on my part, I do not have any of my holiday photos on my work computer, so I shall have to post them tonight. I warn you now - there are thousands. Literally. I took over 5000 photos in 17 days. I took 1500 photos just in Rome, for goodness sake. I did get a little bit carried away. The silly thing is, almost every photo is the same - I am alarmingly obsessed with European architecture, so every building I was like ohmygosh! Balconies! Doorways! Elaborate cornices! PHOTO. So I will select some of my favourite ones to post from the many places that I visited.

Have I mentioned yet how amazing this holiday was? The places I saw and the people I met...it was just fabulous. Venice was my very favourite place, but I absolutely fell in love with Rome; I will definitely be returning there soon. And of course Berlin holds a dear place in my heart - I adore it there.

Coming back after almost three weeks though, and I feel as though I have missed so much! Like the new Gossip Girl trailer - WOW. And Frankie and the Heartstrings releasing limited edition fanclub memberships - I failed to get one of these, GOD DAMN IT. You know, important stuff like that. How tragic that being away from a computer for days at a time can mean that huge gaps open in my life. Oh dear, oh dear.

I really must stop rambling now. I find it impossible to believe that people are really interested in how many photos I took of Roman window frames or how pathetic I am for actually missing the internet. But I suppose, dear reader, whoever you are, that you don't mind so much, or you wouldn't have gotten this far.

xo

P.S. I know how pre-pubescent fangirl this is going to sound, but wowohmygodwow how beautiful does Robert Pattinson look in these photos? Oh myyyy heaaarrtt. I can't help myself.

Venezia

Greetings from beautiful Venice!

I am almost a week into my 17 day trip, and I have finally found a few moments to come onto the internet and have a bit of a type away.

My brother and I spent the first few days in Rome, exploring what seems like every single inch of it. It is simply incredible - SO stunning. And we of course went in to the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel, which has made my life absolutely complete. It is beautiful, beautiful. I was breathless, it was so beautiful.

Then we joined onto the group trip that crawls across Europe, and so far have seen Verona (ohmygosh, perfection!) and VENICE, which is the lovliest place that I have ever seen in my ENTIRE LIFE. I could not believe how perfect it was! I could have cried, it was so pretty.

Time is running out now, so I must go. I return home on the 20th, so I bid you farewell until then (that is unless I get too tired to party and crank up the internet instead.)

Ciao!