Birthday Bonanza!

Wow! What an intense week. I have been so busy i have barely stopped to breathe, and somewhere amongst the chaos i turned 24. I've been to Wittering to see the sea, Claridge's for afternoon tea, Covent Garden for shopping, Bedforshire to see African elephants, the River Wey for a summer picnic, topped off with cocktails and silly hats at TGI Fridays. It's been a roller coaster of emotions, but I've been spoilt rotten, and feel truly blessed that i have some amazing friends who took some time to show me how they really felt about me. I'm a very lucky girl, - i wish i knew what I'd done to deserve it.

A decade ago, I never thought I would be, At 23 on the verge of spontaneous combustion - Woe is me

I've been pretty busy over the last few weeks, trying to get my head together and getting ready for my birthday. I've made Kelly a kick ass mix CD for her birthday which i do every year, but I'm especially pleased with this years. I really hope she likes it.

1. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Sun Ain't Shining No More

2. Devendra Banhart - Lover

3. The Virgins - One Week Of Danger

4. Cake - Short Skirt/Long Jacket

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

6. Robyn - Crash & Burn Girl

7. Golden feat. Sophia Shorai - Loosen Up

8. 311 - Amber

9. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

10. Bat For Lashes - Sleep Alone

11. Florence & The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

12. The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

13. Jay Clifford - Know When To Walk Away

14. Aimee Mann - Save Me

15. The Pernice Brothers - Baby In Two

16. Ingrid Michaelson - Giving Up

17. Third Eye Blind - Jumper

18. The Duke Spirit - This Ship Was Built To Last

19. Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls

20. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - Relator

21. Paolo Nutini - Coming Up Easy

I've ordered myself a stunning dress (from oli.co.uk) to wear on my birthday picnic on Sunday, the minute i saw it it reminded me of Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 08 dress that i absolutely adored! Although this one i could actually afford!

2 more days left of being 23, I'm trying to be as positive as i can about it, but time is going so fast and I'm moving in slow motion.

Rabbits & Cupcakes

I've been feeling very despondent the last few weeks, and have sunk away back into my little dark hole to recuperate, but this time i have been trying to take "the beautiful things" with me. My favourite line from a poem, a beautiful photograph, a friends embrace, a new pair of earrings, a fresh white page and a red and white spotty scarf. The hole doesn't seem to want any of these things, but I'm determined not to leave them behind.

On a particularly bad day i decided to go to the pet store to get out of the house. Seeing the rabbits always makes me smile, and in an aisle i came across the houndstooth cat bed, and it was reduced! Surely a sign from the gods, so now Jeff has a beautiful new bed, and i have the warmth and pleasure of watching her sleep peacefully in it.

I also tried baking, because it's very hard to be glum when making cake. I made my famous white chocolate covered cupcakes with pink & purple sprinkles. I mainly baked them for my friend Lorraine, who had invited me over to her new house. It didn't seem to help very much, but it did help to get me out of the house when i was feeling low and didn't want to go - because i knew i wasn't going to eat 30 cupcakes! Seeing some friends helped take my mind off my mind for a while.

I have therapy this afternoon, so i hope that should help me turn some kind of a corner, and tomorrow i am spending the day with my very old and close friend Matthew, who has just come back from 2 months in Hawaii, and I've missed him very much.

Birthday Wishes

It's my birthday in a few weeks, and I've spent ages trying to make a list of things I’d like for my mum. I mainly just like surprises though. I desperately need a new camera and a new phone, but I cant seem to find one that I like enough. I think there is a huge market for more feminine looking mobile phones.

As for little bits, I’d love some t shirts by Every Little Counts, a pair of lightning bolt earrings from All Saints, my favourite shop. The Vanity Fair Portraits book by Grayden Carter and Fashionista: A Century Of Style Icons by Simone Werle looks brilliant. I’d love to get my hands on some Tokyomilk products, the packaging is just beautiful. I found this great necklace on the trashandluxury website, shaped like a cat’s head and it has “The Cat’s Meow” engraved on it, a 1920’s slang phrase that i have always loved. And then just make up, underwear, books, baking accessories and of course silver bangles to add to my collection.

Raspberry & Coconut Love

I'm feeling very weary at the moment, i just want to curl up with a blanket and watch old movies. I'm so disappointed with the summer weather, i had hoped to be out enjoying the sunshine, which makes a November trip to California sound even more appealing. On Friday i enjoyed a lovely sunny day in Brighton, shopping and having lunch with Kelly. We then got raspberry and coconut Shakeaways and sat by the pavilion people watching. I love watching children play. I defiantly want to raise my children in Brighton, it has the best of everything, it's so cosmopolitan and laid back, it's where i feel most at home.

Anyways I've ordered a bunch of DVD's in case the weather doesn't pickup, "I Capture The Castle", "Seven Pounds", "My Summer Of Love" & "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist". Now i need to sit down and organise my birthday celebrations and make a birthday list!!

"I Talk To You In My Head All The Time"

Last night i watched "Me Without You". I think it's really difficult to make a serious film about friendship, so many films are about romantic love, but there are very few about real friendship. What i love so much about this one is how suffocating the friendship is, which is so realistic. Friendships are far from perfect, real ones take a lot of hard work. It's hard when you've grown up with people for them to accept you changing and growing and developing. I know I've felt like a Holly my whole life, the mousy one who always felt inferior, it's difficult to grow up if there are always people around reminding you of who you were. Inside me is still the awkward geeky teenage girl. Real friends what to see you blossom into a beautiful adult. I'm lucky to have so many of the real kind. Anyways, the film is great, the clothes are brill, the cinematography is gorgeous and the soundtrack is pretty rockin’.

"You Can Leave Whenever You Want Out"

I'm lovin' the new Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson track "Relator" at the moment. Really looking forward to hearing the rest of the album. Think the idea of a duet album inspired by Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot's 1960's albums is a great concept and the album art work looks beautiful too. Thumbs up!