aliya

~EXCITING NEWS ~

In July, I will be travelling to Sri Lanka to volunteer with elephants! Back in December, depressed by the fact we could not go on the geography trip to Iceland because taking geography was a necessity, my friend and I decided to sort our lives out and venture abroad. We scoured various websites in search of fun/safe volunteering projects and eventually stumbled across Plan My Gap Year, who held an 'Elephant Experience' volunteering project in Sri Lanka for under 18s. Daily tasks included washing, feeding and walking the elephants along with learning about their behaviour and conservation from legit mahouts. We knew we could not miss this opportunity and after much parent-convincing, we booked a two week project.

 

The volunteering is only three hours a day, so in our free time we will help at one of PMGY's other volunteering programmes or at their Tsunami Village Education project, which is an after school education project for children affected by the 2004 Tsunami.

To fundraise money, I have set up an Etsy shop where I will be decorating and selling elephant-themed items. At the moment it's just bags but i'm hoping to broaden the range of goods in the near future. I would be really grateful if you could take a look/spread the word/even buy a bag, and also take a look at the PMGY website as they have so many great volunteering projects all over the world. All funds raised will go towards the project fees, which will go towards the care of the elephants.

I am beyond excited about this experience and cannot wait to share it with you all!!

 

suzie xox

 

p.s Aliya means elephant in Sinhalese

petty

I have wanted to post for the past month but, as always, life gets in the way (by life I mean school). Honestly, things have been pretty petty lately; petty homework, petty friends, petty sixth form applications. I realise that none of these things are petty in the long run but at the moment I cannot be dealing with this radical amount of teen angst. Teen angst brought on by getting my cartilage pierced, coming home and reading horror stories about the many pitfalls of Claire's and religiously cleaning it for three weeks solid. Teen angst also resulting in me sobbing to Einauldi because "nobody understands teens" ?? January has been mixed.

APOLOGIES FOR ATROCIOUS/INDESCRIBABLY VILE HAIR AND PASTY/PUFFY FACE.

Here is an outfit I have been incessantly wearing lately. I recently discovered that parents' wardrobes are almost as magical as Narnia and recent uncoverings mean that I now only wear my Dad's jumpers.

The coat is an absolute gem made by Aquascutum unearthed in my mother's wardrobe and is v reminiscent of Judd Nelson circa The Breakfast Club. I do not care if people stared at me on the bus because I looked slightly like a wizard cross with teen rebel (I like to think that's why they were staring), I feel bad ass in this coat and that's all that matters.

The jumper is my Dad's, shirt is vintage, jeans are gap and shoes are rip off docs from Deichmann (an excellent bargain).

I have recently watched some banging films as well. The Boat That Rocked, Ginger and Rosa (a while back actually but I forgot to mention it), The Royal Tenenbaums and FINALLY finished series 2 of Skins. Film has the incredible ability to ruin/make the rest of your day. I'm starting to blame moods on films rather than hormones (it is far more logical).

I'm currently on the hunt for new music so suggest away, I can never be bothered to search myself so the past few months has been nothing but fka twigs, Oscar, lorde, swim deep and MØ.

 

When Austin Williams dubbed Swim Deep's new record as "psychedelic sex music", being the pessimist that i am, I immediately envisioned an experimental descent into the wrong genre. After a few listens I was envisioning an 80s-themed technicolour vid. Sure, it kinda belongs in Electronic 80s Anthems but its super fresh and a completely new turn for Swim Deep ~~~

I can't really see myself being able to blog in the next few weeks/months as everything is really piling up now so i don't know when i'll be around. i have an immense amount of respect for those of you who manage to balance school/work/hobbies and blogging. you are truly admirable.

suzie x

liebster award

Sorry i have been fairly non-existent and a neglectful parent to this blog but next week is half-term so i shall return.

I was recently nominated for the liebster award by both Kaylee and Maggie! Thank you <3 <3!!

here are the rules:

-Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog

-Answer the questions given by the nominator

-Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers and link them

-Notify all the bloggers you nominate

-Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer:

 

my answers:

-What does your last text say?

go forth and drive

 

-What's your dream pet? (Animal doesn't have to be domesticated)

newfoundland dog/bear/wolf/corgi hybrid. I had to put the corgi because;

1. the Queen owns them so they are radder than rad

2. it would bring the risk level down a bit

 

-What's the most played song on your ipod/iPhone?

Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson or Ridin by A$AP Rocky and Lana Del Rey

 

-How's your week been?

at the weekend i managed to take outfit pictures without anyone noticing which made me feel like a spy, i ate the mother of all cinnamon buns on sunday which nearly made me cry with happiness and today i braved the outside in sweatpants which was strangely liberating. pretty rad all in all.

 

-If you had a time machine, where would go?

Berlin, 9th November 1989.

 

-Describe one of your most embarrassing childhood memories

running down a slope on the last day of primary school, faceplanting into the grass, skirt blown up by convenient gust of wind, revealing my stripy underwear to fellow pupils, teachers and parents.

 

-Tell me about a food/meal that you 'd never get tired of and could eat everyday

cinnamon buns, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, pitta bread. i also have an unwavering passion for breakfast.

 

-Choose three of your FAVORITE celebrities (actors, musicians, etc.) Now choose, fuck, marry, and kill for each of them and why

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (fuck, although i totally respect him for Hit Record and other non-fuck related things)

Lorde (marry, i think lorde would be the most stylish, bad ass and calming spouse simultaneously?)

Leonardo Dicaprio (kill, he has died in most of his films anyway?)

 

-I just served you with the best yo mamma joke of all TIME. What's your response?

#leoloveforever

 

-What is/are your ultimate goal(s) for the future?

1. Become best friends with Lorde

2. Live in a loft flat in a city

3. Decorate that flat to the ultimate tumblr standard

4. smoke whilst writing revolutionary articles and listening to jazz (in my tumblr-standard, loft flat, of course)

 

-Describe your aesthetic/style

it changes pretty much every 40 seconds but once one of my friends dubbed my style as "that 70s show cross with French Riviera"

I nominate

Vogue Escapade

Nurinek

Perpetual Perplexities

CULT KID

intergalactic glitter monster

mood rings and mood swings

Elevator Brain

M E L K E B A R N

okay thanks maria

Mad Cats

My questions:

-how has your day been?

-if you were a superhero what power would you have? ('the power to have any power' is strictly PROHIBITED)

-what was the last song you listened to?

-which actress/actor would you choose to play you in a biopic of your life?

-where would you go on a road trip?

-favourite film based on colour scheme?

-what would be your ultimate breakfast?

-which fictional bunch of friends would you like to be a part of?

-if you could stop one world issue what would it be?

-which celebrities do you share your birthday with?

-where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Have fun fellow bloggers, i feel so privileged to be part of such a rad community.

 

xxx

this is england

 

 

 

This outfit is incredibly lazy so before I go any further, I apologise for this new year idleness. I cannot deny that I do feel cool wearing it though, and not self-conscious, for once. Rather than label it an 'idle' outfit I would prefer to say that it is a good blend of practicality and individuality. It keeps me mega warm (I admit that I am primarily wearing three jumpers) and comfortable (I am an ambassador for comfortable) but despite this I like to think I am also keepin it fresh ?

 

jeans - eBay

black turtleneck - m and s (it's a turtleneck, WHO CARES)

tank top - vintage (specifically uncle sam's in Bristol)

Cardigan - ask my mum

Chelsea boots - ASOS

A while ago topshop had a trend/lookbook thing called 'This is England' consisting of mainly oversized jackets, gingham/checked items and fab 80s-inspired garments all based in what I assumed was a lauderette (?). This outfit was reminiscent of it in a way; the tartan lining of the jeans (how exciting), the huge wooly tank top and cardigan, but unfortunately no launderette.

   

 

I don't really like the concept of new year, the future is a stranger, compared to the comforting nostalgia of the past and I feel like every year is one step closer to the unknown. sorry to be so ominous, I hope you had a happy new year anyway.

 

(waves goodbye)

suzie

the new dull

It's intriguing that something with/containing colour can be dull. 'Dull' itself is a dull word, characterised to something lifeless, colourless and boring. Black and white, however, is anything but boring, the films of the 20th century were mainly characterised by the lack of colour and I believe it allows you to focus more on the quality of the acting and the film. People never make black and white films anymore, it is now considered 'indie' and possibly 'daring' in a world where any kind of colour is accessible. Back to dull. When I think of dull, images of dreary weather, grey buildings in Eastern Europe and pale skin spring to mind. I am currently reading 1984 by George Orwell and the world that is created in it is dull and unchanging. There is only one correct opinion, building interiors are plain, but there is a certain beauty to the colourless and cold world that Orwell creates. Although trapping, it is also dull in a way that lets the imagination run wild. It's extraordinary that something so dull creates such an aesthetically-pleasing image which is what intrigues me about this word. Dull can be both an insult and a compliment. 

All this pictures appear dull in some way to me, but not on a superficial level that they are boring. The colours in them are subdued/non-existent and the expressions of the people, the surroundings and colours are both, dull and empty. To me, this is what makes these images interesting and fresh. This is a reinvention of dull, which no longer means dull. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ~~~
 

I've been listening to Oscar (or Oscar Scheller) a lot recently. His music can be loosely described as 'bedroom DIY pop' which I took a while to understand but now it totally explains the tinny, fresh quality to it. I love how new and unedited it all is, music is all to often dominated by technology but the imperfections and casual, lazy vocals add a hazy vibe. His voice itself is like a chocolatey/britpop/baritone hybrid that, along with a jangle of guitars, culminates in something both enjoyable and interesting to listen to. The rest of his EP, 146b, is awesome and, although it sounds strictly confined to a hazy summer, I think it is something that can be enjoyed all year round.



 

Hope everybody has had a rad festive period and has an even radder new year.

 

 

(waves goodbye)

 

suzie



Sources:

 

Tumblr

http://galleryhip.com/anthony-michael-hall-breakfast-club-t-shirt.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/de-berlin-wall.htm

http://time.com/3386935/grit-grime-and-graffiti-christopher-morris-on-the-new-york-subway-1981/



then veins of red marbling the glassy water

I often think after finishing a book, that it's hard to realise the impact it has had on you. When words that are simply written on a page are able to create empathy within you, to enhance a feeling, a thought, it makes you question the effect of printed words. I am saying this in consideration to a book I finished recently; The Secret History. It was absolutely incredible. Usually I am able to put my finger on why i like a book so much but with this it was unfathomable and something I will never know. It feels like a work that goes beyond the human world and feelings and that reaches into another realm of Godly and ethereal actions and words. With each character, I felt I was able to both love them and hate them at different points and I was surprised at how rapidly my feelings could change or how emotionless I felt at some stages. I'm sad to say that half way through reading it I was looking it up on the internet when dumb old auto-complete ruined it for me which, of course, changed my attitude and, although I did not realise it then, spoilt the ending. Nonetheless I think this enabled me to guess the reasons for it, before I had arrived there, and to understand the final, somewhat noble/heroic action. I wish it were a film, a Wes Anderson colour scheme would not got amiss and I can see a young Topher Grace playing Richard (although Topher Grace is kinda old now), but sadly it seems that The Secret History is one of those books that will never be a film (the Catcher in the rye etc). Please, please, please, (if you haven't already) go and read The Secret History and bask in it's glory forevermore. All hail Donna Tartt.

Due to lack of tripod/willing family member I struggle to find an appropriate place to take outfit photos. With my old camera I used the windowsill but with my new (giant) camera I cannot risk it tumbling to it's death so until very recently I was on the hunt. I soon discovered that a corner in the
garden was accompanied by a well-placed table and very aesthetically-pleasing leaves - problem solved.

solved.

I am really loving turtle necks and tank tops at the moment. Throughout this year I have gathered an impressive collection of knitted tank tops from far and wide and I have decided that it is either time to open a jumper museum or actually wear them. This one is from a vintage shop in Bath paired with a Primark turtle neck, New Weekends skirt and ASOS Chelsea boots. I am also (shock horror) trying to break into the world of lipsticks and this is one I bought for my Velma costume on Halloween I have always thought of lipstick as too daring but after braving it once I think I am finally ready (plus it matches the leaves!).

(waves goodbye)

Suzie

chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, darling

A couple of weeks ago i watched Heathers, because everyone cool raves about it, and of course because Winona Ryder is in it, which is a good reason alone to watch it. At the start i wasn't sure if i liked it, it seemed like a much more murderous and ,well, mean version of Mean Girls. It made high school appear like a soulless pit of bitching and back-stabbing, which it kind of is to be fair, but on a grand scale. I could not believe the events that were taking place and how every character seemed to be oblivious, clueless, and apparently soulless.  I think as the film progressed, though, i realised what it all signified and that the end result really just beat all my ideas of how it could have ended.  I began to see that some of the characters were psychotic after all and that the film is, all in all, a teen rebel fantasy, the kind of thing scribbled in the back of a notebook or planned in moments of boredom. We would never want those things to happen but we like imagining it. Winona Ryder's acting, style and radness must be mentioned too. Most of the time she is furiously writing a journal, whilst wearing a monocle and playing (strip) croquet in her parent's garden. She is undeniably that person who will talk to anyone and everyone, not caring about damn social rules. I also love every thing about her clothes. It could not be more 80s if it tried; shoulder pads, scrunchies, MASSIVE hair, but this just adds to her character and everyone elses. At the end, i realised that Heathers aren't just a meaner version of Mean Girls, they are the original Mean Girls.

And, of course, Christian Slater's hotness cannot go without mentioning.

I also watched Run Lola Run recently, originally because, in my ignorance, i assumed it was French so i thought it could count as revision. After borrowing it from the library i soon realised it is actually German but thought it was still worth the watch (not mentioning i know >1% German). I am glad i did. At the start of the fim, i felt similar to how i felt watching Heathers, i wasn't sure if i was going to like it and there also seemed to be too much running going on ( i thought the title was an exaggeration but no, it really isn't). Before i go any further the basic gist is this; a girl called Lola gets a call from her boyfriend who needs dosh for some tough guys within the next 20 minutes or he will die/spontaneously combust (not really but this would add an unexpected twist, no?). What i didn't realise at first was that the Lola's actions are split into three episodes, until she gets it right, where one minute adjustment changes the whole course of what will happen in the next 20 minutes. The first scenario ended rather abruptly and i thought that was the end. Sitting there, feeling more than a little disheartened i was pleasantly surprised to see the second scenario begin. This is where things began to get exciting, Lola got it wrong the second time too so the third scenario began. What struck me is how something so small can change so much, how one decision, a few seconds, one look in the wrong direction, can really change a person's life. The soundtrack is like stepping into a smokey 90s euro rave of techno and sweaty neon, which fits pretty well with the amount of running. I also like how empty Berlin is, it's weirdly uninhabitated which i don't really understand and i cannot fathom where all the people are, nonetheless for some reason i like this as it allows a focus on the people that are there, as when Lola runs past them you see a snapshot of their destiny. There is not a lot of colour, despite Lola's hair which provides a juxtaposition and just makes her look pretty rad actually. But again, as with the lack of people, when you do see colour it allows you to focus us on it more than usual and let it actually be significant; the overruse of colour is an easy mistake that can ruin a work of art.

 

i very much enjoyed the random dream-like cartoons that are reminiscent of childhood shows. The surreal, colourful cartoons did not seem odd at all compared to the live action, also due to the use of colour.  

And of course i cannot go without mentioning Yellow Flicker Beat. I was already obssessed with it when the video came out this week and now it is borderline on a disorder. I cannot stress my deep and unwavering appreciation and faith in Lorde, sometimes i feel like she is the only artist out there who feels current, as if the present only matters. She clearly appreciates the past and the future but SHE IS 2014. she is now and that is all i see in this video.

(waves goodbye)

suzie

 Sources:

http://giphy.com/gifs/depressed-heathers-movie-aShtwJKEYAFfq

https://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b7963bcae

 http://www.listal.com/viewimage/3249647h

http://giphy.com/gifs/run-lola-6M3q8ZKAXF1cI