The Content Notebook

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Just wanted to Say

Saturday the 1st of December was the best 1st of December I've had for a very long time.
My fiancé - Gavin - took me on a date. He booked a table and everything. I had no idea where we were going. It was a little exciting!

We went into London, visited our favourite Costa coffee shop, tucked away in the back streets behind Oxford Street, went into Harvey Nichols, Harrods and drank a couple of hot ciders in Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park.

He then took me to Covent Garden, where he told me he was taking me to a little French restaurant called "Le Garrick". I was anxious at first - I did not want to eat French food!
But there was no need for concern. It was a cute little place on Garrick Street, and it's all lit by candles inside. You go downstairs - underground, and there is a tiny bar and lots of little bricked archways and cosy coves and old wooden beams. It was gorgeous. As was the food. And the wine. And the free shot of 40% Pear Schaps at the end.

It was wonderful. I have the best man in the world and I am the luckiest girl in the universe.

Ahhhh

2012 is Drawing to an End

As I sit here, in my towel, feeling fresh and smelling like stress relief (that's the name of the bubble bath FYI..it's a nice smell), listening to M83 (a band with a "luscious blend of shoegaze aesthetics, ambient pop and progressive textures") , I can't help but think that right now, I feel content. Something that I came to realise in that little bath.
Baths are strange. They're a weird concept - you just lay there, in water, sitting in your own dirt some say (but if you have bubble bath, I'm pretty sure that that kills off most of the dirt and cleans you and the water.) But, they're the one place where your mind is kind of allowed to just wander, and all your thoughts, feelings, woes and worries seem to all slide into place and make sense. Just laying there, thinking about the last 12 months was definitely some sort of therapy I needed. Much like retail therapy, where buying things make you feel better, only cheaper and lazier. I've been trying to think about how I feel about life and the last 12 months, without coming to any sort of conclusion.
This year has been a funny sort of year, where I feel like not a lot has happened, but it actually really has. I got a new job in February, I went to Paris for a long weekend with the girls in February, my fiancé and I went to Rome in April, we had the Olympics in July where I went to work in a garage close to the heart of the event - it was pretty special and my best friend had the cutest baby ever in September (to which, I think, Gavin and I are one set of godparents to, which is the best thing ever).
I mean, yea, OK maybe a lot did happen. Thinking about it in that bath (and writing it all down) has led me to realise that. We've (myself and Gavin) also managed to save up a lot of money, ready for us to hopefully move out late next year. It has actually been quite a significant life changing year.
So, at this moment in time, I'm quite content. I just hope that the world doesn't in fact end on December 21st - I still have a lot more things to do in my life!

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Tweeting...I Hope it Makes my Dream Come True!

I've started to become "Twitter-pated". Ever since I read an article in Company magazine, I've been tweeting almost every bloody 3 hours. Apparently, it opens up doors career wise. People have been found through their twitter and got jobs as PR's and art directors and journalists - their dream jobs! So, I'm hoping that, with a bit of positive thinking, I can be found amongst the thousands of other profesh bloggers/writers/critics/PR's/Editors wannabes. Plucked like a feather on a chicken, singled out from so many others that are so similar.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm unhappy with my job. In fact, I do really like it. A lot. Recruitment is a bloody good profession to be in...as is the company I'm with. I'm also lucky that I have a job that's slightly related to my degree (even if I do feel like I truly suck at it sometimes....but that's another blog post!) I wouldn't mind being there for a very very long time (where eventually I hope that I can settle - again, another blog post!)

It's just...well, everyone has their dream job don't they? I'm sure that people I work with dream of being in a job that's related to their interests (I can only think of football...I can't actually guess what other people dream of being!) At the end of the day though, it's just a dream. It has such a small chance of happening, I would imagine that I may have a better chance at winning the lottery (if I did it...!)

So, we'll see. It has happened to the lucky few. There is a 20 something girl who has had a book published of her blog, it's called "F*** I'm in my Twenties!" - or something to that effect. I have also added to my Amazon wishlist a published blog of Tavi Gevinson - called "Rookie Yearbook One". Maybe, one very fine day, I'll be noticed and I could have a book pulished, or I could have my own column in a magazine (now that is dreaming, that would be ah-maze-ing!)

Monday, 1 October 2012

Been a While...Muse...

I'm writing to you from me, a total friggin mess. Why? Don't worry, only physically. I totally just walked into my door, where my boob knocked on the knob. Wow, that sounds sorta rude. The door handle bashed my boob. Oh man that's no better! You get the erm...idea. It bloody hurts! I fell to the floor, did about a hundred rolls into the bathroom and cried uncontrollably for about 10 minutes.

Ok, so that may be a little exaggerated. But I did roll, and I did cry. It hurt that bad. I can't remember the last time I cried.

I'm not a total mess either. Sorry, another exaggeration. I'm on my bed, writing this whilst sipping a lovely cold glass of German wine (German wine is the best wine!) listening to Muse's new album The Second Law.

Verdict so far? It's.....interesting to say the least. There are 2 dubstep-esque tracks on there. A couple of rock ones. A few others that sound like another old prog rock/pop band from the days of yore, and a couple of really boring slow ones. It's definitely not love at first listen, it's going to take a few to even like it....let alone love it. Actually kind of glad I didn't spend £75 x 2 (I'm not great at maths) on tickets to see them now. But it's worth a listen, to cure the curiosity. See, now I made a big mistake. I listened to the second from last track on the album called "Unsustainable" - a proper dubstep tune, and I got really excited about this new album, thinking it was going to be like this. Only...to be left rather disappointed. There's only one other track that has the dubsteppiness to it, which I can't find, so maybe I was lying! Anyway, Panic Station is really good, love that, and Supremacy, both are rock based which I looove. Follow Me and Save Me are boring slow songs which, I'll be honest, I skipped after the first few bars or so. I'm convinced that I can hear a little James Bond theme in the first track, around 1:35 you can hear it. It's very subtle, but I'm sure that's in the James Bond films!

The last track is like a blimmin' dance/electro track! I like it. Nothing wrong with a bit of dance.

All in all, it's not Muse that we all love and know, nothing like their "Knights of Cydonia" and miles away from "Plug in Baby" and "New Born". But, that's what the trio wanted. Upon watching an hour long interview with them on good ol' youtube, they wanted to change. They feel that each album is like a chapter in their lives, representing different things. This is a new chapter, with new emotions and events that are occurring in their lives. I feel like they really wanted to be like the "Heston Blumenthal" of the music world; experimenting with many different sounds, putting together pieces of music that you would never think to unionise, such as an orchestra and an orchestral choir, making it work surprisingly well. It works, it's just going to get a lot of getting used to. Like a new haircut I suppose.

Monday, 10 September 2012

Not So Boring Post!

I've been absent for a while! My bad, I've been back at my proper job and I've been very busy! So much so that I'm shattered after the day. Not to mention that I get home at 5:30, so I don't really have time to write as much anymore. But this does make me :( .

Not much to update really, I'll post some instagram photos and other photos of my life in separate post.

However, the most exciting thing happened this weekend - my best friend had her baby! Many congratulations on the birth of this amazing little boy. He is adorable. I wish him and the ickle family the best of wishes, and I'm very lucky that I get to be a part (if but a small one) of his and their lives. Very happy for her and her fiancé and his big brother. Yay! =D

I'm so so so jealous that our best friend Kate got to meet him today and give him lots of cuddles. I can't stop looking at the photos of him. I want to hurry up and meet him too! I feel like I should pester them hurry up and sort out when I can go and meet him. When I get a text from either the mummy or daddy saying "come round soon!" and I'm like "yes ok when you can, just say it and I will go!", I get excited when they may name the day.... then nothing! It's like they're teasing! But of course, I know that it's just because the they're so tired and overwhelmed that talking to me is very far down on their list of priorities right now!
Sorry but it's not my fault he's so gosh darn cute!
It's so unusual of me to be so excited over a baby. I haven't been in the past. I guess it might be because it's the baby of someone close to me, I'm not sure. But it's like something has changed, I'm now thinking about how amazing it must be to have made this precious little life. I think some sort of hormone has been triggered! Before, I used to associate childbirth with disgust and pain and all sorts; now, I just think of cute little babies!
So it looks like me having babies in the very distant future is not a total no-no...!!