quotes close to my heart.

"the things you remember the most, are the things you weren't supposed to do, but did anyway."

___________________


P & L 

here comes the delivery...

This morning started off quite sad; saying goodbye to a chum who (as of now) wont be returning to "our little town by the sea", although it didn't seem that sad at the time, because 2010 has made me emotionally numb and there's so much going on in la vida Emma, i think it may hit me one day in the near future. i promised myself i would never get close to anyone, mainly because i'm a very emotionally detached person, but also because i just can't deal with people leaving my life before i'm ready for them to anymore - especially again in 2010 - but i did, and they left.

So i arrived home, had the shit scared out of me by my dad being right by the door when i walked in, looked in the cupboard at around fourteen tins of beans - reminding me i'm going back to uni, then sat down (bean-less) for ten minutes before answering the door to a glorious Urban Outfitters box. torn open with baby scissors, it was not long before i was involved in a living room catwalk situation; guest-list including me, my new clothes and mr mirror.

After my delivery, the day is looking up already; going shopping with my air-hostess amigo, drinks later with my tall amigo, then before i know it it'll be Friday and i'll be riding the rail to go and see my Zante amigos in bristol before jetting off to Magaluf with them.

It's a rarity that i even look past a few days in the future - one of my favourite quotes being; "dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow" - James Dean, unless it's something i need to plan for i.e New York, but this is one of those odd occasions where i'm just looking towards the future.

When i touch back down in England, i get to travel around london for five days, seeing friends i haven't seen for a while and bearded amigo - which i'm looking forward to. then when i return to the north west, it's back to uni time; time to rekindle my relationship with H&B, Lidl and sunday 3.30pm at ASDA. i'm really looking forward to it though, despite the fact i have to learn things, but time in uni goes unusually fast, and before I know it, it'll be summer again; time for New York life, route 66 and hopefully lots of huge smiles on my face.

Every cloud...

P & L

quoting Grey.

An irrational cold and torrential weather has got me stuck indoors once again watching Grey's Anatomy. It is very rare for a fictional programme to make me well up; but today, on the second disc of series two, i heard the most beautiful line ever which just kind of got to me:-

"if love were enough, she'd still be here with you."


___________________________________________________


In the next episode of the series the surgeons discover, during a simple gallbladder procedure, that an elderly woman (Esme) has incurable cancer. i let out a huge "awwwwwwh" at the husband's (Jed) reason for not telling the love of his life she only has four to six months to live:-

"she's happy...i don't want her to be afraid before she dies..."


___________________________________________________

P & L

"Chapter 2" commence...

Ok, the bearded amigo I have referred to a few times in previous posts is packing up his sneaker and tee collection, gathering his CDs, DVDs and comics and fucking off to London indefinitely. As of the 26th August he will no longer live a hop, skip and a jump away from my abode; he will be a bus, train, bus and walk away from me being his pretentious self in our Capital - this will make our random endeavors quite difficult.

We've shared good times: Water fights at the Queen's, Park Gate ice cream, IT crowd/Tremors marathons, pointless drives, Tooty Frooties, unlimited quoting of films, cake baking etc.
We've endured bad times: Disagreeing about music/food/films/who's the best at life (me)...I think that's it?

Anyway, in a nutshell, this blog entry is to basically say;-

Jack, so long marfakka, it's been emotional and as much as I'd love to see your face back 'round here soon, I hope I don't. All the best/good luck in all you do and, despite what I may say, I will miss the shit out of you, you little bastard.

P & L

"I need this for Uni...honest"

It's Sunday and I got my student overdraft re-approved for the year last week and I've gone shopping mad. Admittedly, I loved every second of it; but now I'm sitting here watching the hills have eyes which definitely seems like a walk in the park when I picture my room which I haven't properly been in for two days, only to throw any new bags packed with garms in. It's going to be guilt central when I'm putting it all away, as well as when my bank statement comes through; but hey, "I need it for Uni". Unusually, I had my bargain eyes on and managed to bag quite a few budget garms, with only the odd splurge; maybe I'm trying to justify my latest purchases to myself now, which my bearded amigo said 'is a sign of addiction', so I'll get on with it...

...here's what I spent my food money on:-

It may look tacky but it goes
ok with t-shirts - as long as
 the waistband doesn't show,
and at £4, it was rude not to;
bargainicious-ness at Tesco.

Who needs to spend forty
squids on a Casio when you
can bag a retro wrist buddy
from ASDA for a measly fiver.

I can't seem to go into Urbs
without purchasing some tees
from the male department,
Saturday was no exception.
£9.99.

Also, whilst I was in Urban outfitters, fighting the urge to lick everything; I got a Bill Crosby style, retro, chunky, knitted cardigan for a massively underpriced £30. I actually love it, it's beautiful, but unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures online. 

Then tonight, through sheer boredom, I went onto UO website, being alone and high on milkyway magic stars therefore clearly not thinking straight (money-wise), I got the following:-

 

It is now Monday - long blog entry - H&M also fell victim to my shopping spree, I took away with me a black and red, floral, canvas, tote bag for a cool £12.99 and a plain dark purple skirt for £2.99. I couldn't find pictures of either of these things because I've only just found out how pointlessly frustrating the H&M website is. You can't browse the clothes, they don't have prices; all they have are fashion articles, a selection of garms that are in store and a store locator. It's a clothes store - geez, show some damn clothes.

Also on my credit card fueled adventure, I moseyed on into Topshop and got...

I also tried on these £22
 canvas bad-boys but didn't
 get them because I'm
shopping around for a
decent pair of staple
hi-top shoes.

...this clockette necklace
for £10 which I immediately
 broke when it smashed
 against my car door,
creating a crack across
the face - darn.

Conveniently bringing me to my shoe confusion dilemma - I know I definitely want hi tops but I'm not sure which sneaker path to go down. The following are the finalists in my shoe-y contest:-

Reebok Freestyle Hi in white averaging at around £44. 

Cream converse skating in at like £25-£35. I love them, they're beautiful but they're so common now.

So yeah, there's these and maybe some white Nike high tops. Not overly sure on the Nikes though because I like the boys line but think they look a bit manly and all the girls ones are lame. Shoe shopping is my week point because I know very little about shoes - despite me being a girl - but I'll come to a decision soon enough.

So here I sit, snuffling for England, Grey's Anatomy box set on 'Play all' and a trusted, kind hearted, yet hairy amigo cooking me a sausage sarnie with no sauce. Weather is miserable but a journey to Chester on the train is essential to my social life, as Wallasey has been my predominant location for the past two weeks, wow; that may be the most depressing 11 words I've ever written. Friday cannot come fast enough, then it's all uphill from there.

P & L

Voodle

Quotes close to my heart

"Always behave like a duck - keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath." - Jacob Braude

___________________________

"The grass is greener where it rains." - Bell X1 (Eve, The Apple Of My Eye).

___________________________

"No guts, no mother-fucking glory."


___________________________

"Why buy diamonds when you can look at the stars for free?" - Me :D




___________________


P & L
Voodle

Will you go to the dance with me?

Urban Outfitters £75

Urban Outfitters £38

 I haven't really been doing much fashion research lately but I have this huge urge to go mad for grandpa leather satchels, maroons, dark denim and chunky knitwear. When I think about what I just typed, the image of american college attire sprung to mind. It's quite possibly because last Friday I fell in love with a varsity bomber jacket (left) in UO but thought my student overdraft had already taken enough hits for one day, since then I haven't stopped thinking about my jacket-y love - even though it is incredibly simple, that's what I love about it. I do hope all the american college retro attire re-becomes a phenomenon because, as we've previously established, I darn love anything retro.

Of course though I'm not going to be packing my floordrobe with just these things just yet, after-all, it is technically still summer. So for now I think I'm going to stick predominately with oversized tees, leggings and pumps or mix-matched florals and prints with light denim and ease it all in. However, I'm going shopping tomorrow (technically today), Friday and Saturday for 'uni' clothes so I can't promise that an obscene amount will not be spent on american retro goodies.

Who needs food right?

P & L
Voodle

The curious case of Emma Jones

Ever noticed that the best things are from your childhood? Lately, I feel like I'm ageing backwards and I find myself acting immature (where appropriate) and opting for OAProducts. Don't get me wrong, I love technology and the way it's progressing, I couldn't live without my laptop or my phone, but just because 150,000,000 of those round coins I lack have been spent researching it, doesn't mean it's better than it's pre-decessors. I'm not sure if it's my stubbornness toward change, a not so subtle attempt at holding on to my childhood or just my love for retro/vintage products, but it's happening and I'm embracing it.


                                                                          Blast from the past

BN's were released in May 2000 and boy were they yummy, from their crunchy exterior, to their chocolate/strawberry innards.

Slap bracelets! I remember constantly playing with these bad boys throughout primary school, there were millions of them everywhere and if you didn't have a slap bracelet, or maybe a yoyo, you were a no-body. Last year sometime, I went to a gig in Manchester and got given a slap bracelet by the promoters; it was like Christmas in slap-'round-my-wrist form. To people who don't have slap bracelets, I can understand the sheer annoyance of others constantly playing with them, but hey, they don't care because they have a slap bracelet!

Remember the pop man? Maybe it was a Merseyside thing, but, every Tuesday (I think) he used to pay us a visit on Gorsedale Road with our order of cream soda and orange soda. Nicely delivered in unlabeled glass bottles, which we had to return, the cream soda came in a retro green colour which made it all the more fun to drink. Now we have to drink it colourless, from standard shaped, plastic, two litre bottles - colourless because E numbers are now 'bad for you' - the health standard agencies ruin it for everybody! Bummer.

I LOVE LEGO. Need there be any more said? 

...well, I know Lego still exists, but old school Lego was the best. Even K'nex was awesome...but not quite Lego.

I like going into all those random gadget shops which often house retro products that have been forgotten about, I pretty much walk around the whole store playing with everything then leave purchase-less, making the majority of my visits totally pointless but uber fun and reminiscent non-the-less.


P & L
Voodle

No sleep, drink & Urban Outfitters

Purchased-cheers.

Ok, so, I've been major MIA lately because it's been the busiest week ever, I didn't even realize how busy it was until it was happening. Anyhoodles, I broke my fundamental rule of going into UO and looking at clothes, it did not end well, I spent a depressing £80; that's like a weeks worth of food now student-life is closing in. Oh oh oh we ventured to the male department though and bought a load of t-shirts (pictured) which was brilliant, a necklace and a bracelet, all of which I nearly sat on said items' faces' - fantasmic.

...again, purchased. cheers.

Do you know what I've never realised; UO sell G-star. My respect-ometer has gone down respectively, I hate that make; it's vile, chav wear and that's all it can aspire to be, I don't even think Urbs can make it cool - sorry. However, the tee pictured on the right (not G-star), homing in at a cool £9.99 just melts my heart. Oh yeah, I really wanted some round lensed sunglasses (John Lennon style) but my cousin, who owes me a pair of sunglasses, refused to buy me them because they "look stupid" - how naive? Geez. Buy me them, they're only £2 on ebay; to quote Napolean Dynamite "gawd, idiot".

...finally, purchased too.

Armed with my three tees, a bracelet and a necklace, we plodded to American Apparel, where, as usual, I was mildly interested and only found the sunglasses impressive (round frames where on display - proving my cousin wrong). I'm not sure what it is about AmAp but I just don't find it riveting - but it is good for the basics. We had a good look around, avoided chavs to the best of our ability then got a Lobster pot and ventured home rich with t-shirts, accessories and bbq chicken but lacking in dollars - sweet - budget drinks with Charlotte tonight.


I may be drunk right now, but I am quite un-meh - yes, that is a standard measurement of mental status. I plan to spend tomorrow by the sea or doing much other pointless activities as Saturday's are gay. Everyone knows where to find me; come say 'hi' 158th square from the first bin.

Ps. Miss you Faye; still rep-ping the odd socks, as we always said we would, people question, but they don't know.

P & L
Voodle

Top of the Pops

I am a sucker for boutique stores and I can't go past one without being somewhat surreally levitated away from my path, and next thing I know, I'm inside being weighed down by forty hangers on my arm. This being the tragic, bank battering case, one of my favourite places is Pop Boutique - swooning with attire based on the 60's, 70's and 80's.

The only branch of the store I've been in (so far) is the one in Liverpool, however, Pop has four more uniquely packed establishments, one in London, Manchester, Leeds and Sweden - brilliant.

My first purchase from my now favourite boutique was three years ago and came in the form of a black and gold chain bag, since then it's been purchase central at Pop Boutique. Although the accessories in the store are very limited, the affordable clothing more than makes up for it, the majority is hand made by fashion students and graduates from nearby Universities, making each store different and the style of clothes more adapted to the trend of the city.

There's not many pictures I can post on here because the website doesn't offer a lot to buy online, obviously being a boutique, but guaranteed, you go in, you're coming out with a bagful. I do love high-street stores and mainstream fashion but knowing that the dress you're wearing is one of a kind and hasn't been mass produced is enlightening.

I would recommend that everyone gets their vintage hunting boot-ays to their nearest boutique which is bound to be bursting with one of a kind, retro goodies.

I even have a 'Pop' tea cup - dedication.

Signing off for the weekend.
P & L
Voodle

Kings of Leon? We'll see.

Possible album cover

I used to be a massive fan of Kings of Leon, I had all three albums and even went to see them in America in 2005 for around $7, that was until 'We Own The Night' came screaming into the charts and straight onto the phones of chavs on busses everywhere two years ago. It wasn't just the fact that 'Sex on fire' was being played about seventeen times a night in a chav-esque club in Wrexham - It was quite a good record. It was that the foursome became so undesirably arrogant and even started falling out with each other over royalties, and following a screaming breakdown from the lead-singer in 2009, there were numerous rumors of the band splitting. Although to be honest, I didn't buy the fourth album they released because I didn't like it - it was a lot lighter than their usual Southern rock-influenced sound - but the moment KOL were evicted from my heart and CD collection, was when shell suit disgustingtons started playing club mixes of their high profile records out loud on public transport, disturbing my humble journey. Despite this, I'm actually quite excited about the release of their fifth album 'Come Around Sundown', which will hit UK shelves 18th October '10 and a day later for the US, to see if the boys have had a chance to calm down, deflate their egos and return to classic Kings - If not, it'll be a blast watching their slow demise... again.

Awesome.

P & L
Voodle

Dear diary?

"Hi i'm FAYE OGDEN
and i must say i do tend to enjoy the antics of my life.
Join me." - Faye's 'about me' on Facebook

Ok, so yeah, today was one of those days where life just felt repetitive and dull, and it felt like everything worth looking forward to was so far away. I think everybody has this feeling lurking inside them and it only takes something slight to trigger it, for me it was Facebook suggesting I 'reconnect' with my step-sister who died suddenly just over four months ago. I mean I think about Faye a lot everyday but never have I had something I longed for so much put in such simple terms making it sound easy, resulting in me feeling so helpless as to acquire it; it was like a slap in the face from Facebook. Different people react in different ways when faced with these feelings; some drink, some comfort eat, some lash out, I, however, pay a visit to the sea. I plodded from my humble abode in Castle road to my usual spot down by the prom, 158th square across from the first bin by the Derby pool, and nestled into the curved wall and stayed firmly there for four hours looking out to sea. There are numerous things about our salty friend which makes me feel happy again; the sound reminds me that there's so much out there, the smell makes me feel like I can do anything and the sheer volume reassures me there is lots of things I still have to do.

My view

Today, as always, the wind was strong and cold but I like it, the consistency makes me feel somewhat normal... again(?). The sun was shining on me heavily from the left which contrasted with how cold I was on my right side and the waves were getting bigger and stronger when a parasurfer went past and he looked so free and his braveness gave me hope.

The thing I love most about my own little spot is the way I can sit there without thinking about the past or the future, without waiting for anything or anyone, it's every second for itself and there's only the sea there to judge me, and my 'giant pond'-like friend doesn't care that my hair in the wind is scarier than Paranormal Activity on acid. People go past and smile at me, it is like a whole different world and I never feel as alive as I do when I'm there. Today, wrapped in a cardi with no shoes on only odd socks, although there was chaos in my mind, madness in the waves and wind (and my hair), I've never felt so close to sanity. I left at 6pm feeling uplifted and refreshed, with the taste of sea salt on my lips and the smell of sand in my hair I returned home and had a few moments to myself before my life resumed to regular. Then on the way to my mum's I saw a single cow on a bridge over the motor-way looking down at the traffic passing, I was very amused, it was then I knew I was back to my usual quirky self... for now.

I think everyone should take the time to look at the sea, it makes me appreciate the world and brings me back down to earth no matter what's bothering me. I have plans for world domination and traveling is my passion, but 158th square is my spot, and if the world were ever to end, that's where I'd like to be when it happens.

Miss you Faye.

P & L
Voodle

The curious case of Emma Jones

Ever noticed that the best things are from your childhood? Lately, I feel like I'm ageing backwards and I find myself acting immature (where appropriate) and opting for OAProducts. Don't get me wrong, I love technology and the way it's progressing, I couldn't live without my laptop or my phone, but just because 150,000,000 of those round coins I lack have been spent researching it, doesn't mean it's better than it's pre-decessors. I'm not sure if it's my stubbornness toward change, a not so subtle attempt at holding on to my childhood or just my love for retro/vintage products, but it's happening and I'm embracing it.


Golden Oldies

Sweets these days are so fickle. Brands introduce new sweets all the time which get discontinued after a few months due to the fact that they are shit. Classics are just unbeatable. As of late, I've been pigging out with Tooty Frooties and it's been sheer glory. The Rowntree's creation was born in 1963 and I remember scoffing these bad boys when I was a child before they disappeared out of my life only to make a comeback this year reclaiming their spot in my heart but more-so my mouth. You can buy Tooty Frooties from ASDA and pretty much everywhere now. Full yum-factor, I'm actually going out to my car to collect the packet I left in there yesterday. Let the scoffing commence.

It was only a few weeks ago that I was in the company of a bearded amigo  talking about vintage treats in a reminiscent sort of fashion when he told me that, not only do ice cream Chewits still exist, but he was in possession of numerous packets. HURRAH. I am now in possession of one and a half packets and a huge Chewit filled grin.


During the whole time I was writing this blog entry I was trying to think of shit sweets and good sweets from recent times to write about and couldn't think of any and you know why?...because they've all been shit and shit is not very memorable. I just bloody love retro sweets.


P & L
Voodle