(Another) Happy Snappy Sunday Part1

The Sensible One

I recently was speaking to an older male friend of mine about life and relationships and somehow we got on to the topic of being 'sensible'. He himself is single and classes himself as 'the sensible one' growing up where as his younger brother was a bit of 'a wild child' and is now happily married with three children. I am not saying marriage and kids is the ultimate goal to achieve when growing up but it is quite funny how people's lives turn out.
When I was at school I was seen as the sensible girl (smart but not smarty pants smart, quiet, polite and a good girl but never a snitch!) and the one everyone assumed would be married first with tons of children.
Which is a bit ironic because I have never been that fussed on babies, yes I may have dreamed of one day walking down the aisle and having a small brood but I don't know whether I see myself as the wife - type, I suppose I have just always hoped it will all fall into place if I meet the right man.
I think this notion of sensibility is partly due to the eldest child mentality as everyone knows parents always drill manners and rules into the first born more than the next (which is probably our job). I always find myself questioning everything I do which I think has resulted in me being quite an unlucky clumsy person where as my younger brother is quite the opposite. As my mum quite often points out 'Helen would be the first to lose something and Peter the first to find it'.
Don't get me wrong I quite like being the sensible one most of the time but just sometimes I would really like to let my hair down without worrying about the worst possible situations I could get myself in. To give you an example of my worry; on my eighteenth birthday instead of my first thought being 'yes I am now an adult' mine was 'oh no if I accidentally do something wrong I could go to prison', so yeah sometimes my sensible approach becomes a bit insensible in it's own rational!
I am coming up to my 22nd Birthday soon so I was thinking it was about time I maybe give being a bit of a risk taker a go and see how far it gets me (hopefully not prison!) and I'll let you know how it goes. Twenty-two is the time for risks people! Anyone got any risky stories they'd like to share?

Judging a Book by it's Cover

I have a confession, despite the well known teaching (preaching) of never to judge a book by it's cover being drummed into me ever since I was little...I admit I do. But before you all get worried I literally mean books (I never judge people), I just can't help it. I just love walking round book stores both old and new and just seeing what covers or titles jump out at me.

I actually quite encourage the idea as I have read many a book that I wouldn't have even picked up if solely based on the blurb or reviews.

Of course the secondhand book shop covers are the best because you never quite know what you are going to find both on the cover and the inside pages. I was recently in a secondhand bookshop searching through the poetry section for some Sylvia Plath (I didn't find any) when I picked up a collection of old poems up only to find someones essay which had been typed up on a typewriter and a cutout from a newspaper of young Ringo Starr.

It just made me smile to think of the previous owner of this collection who obviously had good taste (I myself have quite a thing for the young Ringo ever since I saw the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night in lower sixth for Film Studies although older Ringo is another matter). I wonder what she was thinking when she placed the cutout in among the poetry, did the poem beside it have any significance (I regret I never looked to see what it was)?

It really is fascinating so I encourage you if you are a judging book virgin to highly give it a go, even just the once you might be pleasantly surprised. Oh and it does not only have to be confined to books, it also works with music - I have bought whole albums never hearing a song from a band and I have yet to be disappointed so really give it a go and let me know how you get on.

PHOTO: recent secondhand book shop find.

Happy Snappy Sunday

A few snapshots from today - experimenting with the camera. The red tartan top is one of my bargain finds yesterday (surprisingly warm and comfy).

Who Are We to Judge?

Yesterday I had a perfect Saturday hunting round the local charity shops for the very first time as I have always been self-conscious to do so before. I got quite a few new items of clothing (most of them with labels still attached) - a few topshop tops and a sisley waistcoat. I did see a gorgeous pair of shoes made in Italy but of course they were two sizes too small!
It was quite sad to see most of the clothes were from primark or supermarket brands which must not be great for the charities as the clothes were already cheap to begin with so they would be extremely hard to price. I do really think the charity shop needs a revamp as many people were just throwing the clothes everywhere and having no respect for the garments at all, people need to start treating them with more importance.
I had decided to go out in my handmade feather top - got a few looks but nothing major despite my brother's warning that if I stood too long on one spot people might start throwing bread at me (mistaken for a pigeon).
I have always been quite scared at home of standing out in a crowd too much in fear of being judged. I wear heels to the shops which I know sometimes results in being given weird looks but I am conscious of wearing anything else that may get me noticed. I know this is a very anti-fashion thing to state and I shouldn't care what others think but last night my brother (15) came home from being down the town with his friends to inform us he had to ring for an ambulance and the police earlier. An older guy had been beaten up badly for having dreadlocks and my brother had came across him and had to help him walk to safety as he could barely see through all the blood to his face.
Stories like this make me feel sick that someone could have no thought but to beat up someone to a pulp just because they are different. I admit I am a little naive when it comes to the world's troubles and I get annoyed every time the troubles in Northern Ireland are mentioned in a National BBC broadcoast (even Coast commented on them) because I like to think my generation has moved away from all of this and I honestly believe it has! This attack could have happened anywhere, it has just got me thinking who sets the rules of 'normal'? And are we always under pressure to conform? Can fashion and style ever be completely spontaneous and free?

Sweet Like Honey

I am just in love with this Judith Leiber clutch from net-a-porter.com. LINK: http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/60919#. The detail is just amazing and if in your price range I think it would be well worth purchasing as it would only grow better with time (perfect future vintage buy!). A piece to pass on to your children or grandchildren and everyone loves bees so what's not to love!

Taking Up Old Habits

Happy St.Patrick's Day to everyone, hope you enjoyed your day's holiday (if you got one).
Not many people know this but I used to write poetry when I was in my early teens which I never really showed to anyone but when a few years later my older-self read it I used to be quite surprised that it never sounded as bad as I remembered (where as usually it is the other way round). It was quite random as you'd expect from a teenager and I was all about the obscure titles - the weirder they sounded the better I thought but it got me thinking yesterday when I picked up a copy of the poem 'Mirror' by Sylvia Plath (my favourite poem) that maybe I should attempt to try again with the whole poetry thing. I suppose it is just like this blog but shorter (thankfully I hear many say) and a little more constructed plus the good thing about poetry is you can really write about ANYTHING. Yeah so I think I'll give it a go and see how long it lasts and if I feel they are good enough to share, you never know I might be brave and post a few up here.