Here are some treasures living in my drawer, hoping to find other little gems to live in my wardrobe on Tuesday!
Excuse the blurry earrings, but they are so cute! They were a gift from Tom and I wear them almost every day. I am also in love with my lollipop necklace and pretty much everything else. Though earrings are my true obsession, so if you’re ever stuck for a birthday present a pretty pair of earrings is the way to go with me.
How was your lazy Sunday? Mine was perfect; it included some suspense movies (somewhat Hallmark channelesque), chocolate cookies and online shopping. On a more depressing note, I start stats tomorrow, first thing in the morning! The cruelty! I am terrified.
spring
Imagine a cloud
slowly
going across the sky
and back.
Send a postcard to your friend
— 100 Acorns
We have had huge cottony clouds over Madrid for the past week, and they haven’t been looking pretty in the light of the sun as they are supposed to! Instead they have been dancing around making it rain so that those of us who had big celebration plans decided to stay home last night and watch bad TV with some cake and fluffy socks on. It also seems like it will be snowing again next week. Hmm! While I did love my white Christmas and the occasional snow ball fights that broke out from nowhere, I would like to wear my dresses and flats and cardigans out again. For the moment I have to retreat to my puffy feather jacket, which is not very fashionable as I look a bit like michelin baby, but it beats freezing to death at the bustop.
I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now? — John Lennon
I only recently discovered her and I have to admit I might be on the border of obsession here! At 23, Ellie Goulding has topped the BBC Sound of 2010 music list, and with good reason. Her voice is delicate, pure and way too high for me to sing along but I’ve had her songs on repeat all week. She is cute and quirky, girly with a refreshing sound; “a ‘folktronica’ sound which mixes a traditional acoustic approach with a more cutting-edge electronic style.”
According to Tom, she has a ‘posh’ accent, which I am obviously deaf to. She seems pretty with it though, an average girl with a not so average voice who could very well be your friend or next door neighbor. Which she obviously is, to someone anyway. But let’s stay on task here. I am in love with this girl, her songs are incredible and they will live in my iPod until it dies. And then they will live in my new iPod, and so on. Her album Lights is supposed to be coming out later on in March, and I tell you — I have not bought a CD since 2001, but this is one gem I will go to the store for. Okay! I leave you with her video for “Under the Sheets”, and below you can check out some of her other songs so that you can decide how amazing she is (or isn’t!) for yourself!
Not all of you lucky gals are cramming for exams like I am, but I thought we would all benefit from Hemingway’s Hack. Writer of The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway was definitely one of the greatest, whose influence reached writers like J.D Salinger. We’re all fascinated by lifehacks, by tips and tricks to get a little bit ahead, the secret to success. Fortunately for us seeking souls, Mr. Hemingway left behind the key to his success:
The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start. — Ernest Hemingway
Okay! So not the typical productivity advice you’d hear (get organized, outline steps, keep a schedule); none of that! Just let your mind go wherever it wants, let it conquer the wonders of your quest and when momentum is maximized: stop. Like a cliff hanger of a murder mystery. Then pick up right where you left off! Assuming you are a firecracker of bottomless wit and creativity, this is probably the best advice you’ve ever received. Like Tennis star Pete Sampras, retire with the gold.
For those of us who love working by a neat outline, checking off things as we go, this would be a giant leap. But ladies! If all else fails, why not give this a try? I will be taking said leap of faith tonight, and continue my studying tomorrow. Hopefully my subconscious will do all the dirty work while I am sound asleep. Who knows? I think it’s worth a shot!
