April A to Z Challenge

This is the start of the April A to Z challenge. Firstly, a confession. I am a lapsed blogger. I haven’t written a blog post since the 8^th October. Since that day, I’ve considered blogging many times but written nothing. This really is going to be a challenge.

I’ve chosen an appropriate overall theme for the month – “back to blogging”. This is my attempt to revitalise my blog, and (just maybe) get back my love of blogging. I might also throw in some actual posts about random things too, so none of us get too bored.

I’m hoping that many of you signed up to the challenge because you too are lapsed or disenchanted bloggers…….perhaps we can band together. My posts won’t be tips or advice – I am in no position to give any – just my own ideas to spruce up a tired old blog and engage with the habit again.

But none of this begins with A.

Z is for...Zooey Deschanel

My utter girl crush of this year so far is Zooey Deschanel. She's gorgeous, cute, funky, stylish, funny, and talented - sigh. From acting in the hilarious Christmas film, Elf, to the quirky New Girl; and even some singing too. She just seems like someone who'd be fun to hang out with. You can follow Zooey on Twitter here. And here is the New Girl theme tune for you to enjoy:

Well that is the end of the A-Z blog challenge! It has been challenging at times, especially thinking of something for these last few letters, but I hope I've managed to entertain a few new readers who will hopefully stick around. I know I've found some new blogs to read.............

Y is for...Yellow

I am really loving anything yellow at the moment. Maybe that's because it reminds me of that hot ball in the sky that used to come out in the summertime, or maybe it's just because it is such a happy, warm colour to look at! Either way, I've scoured the net and made a Pinterest board entirely dedicated to happy, sunny yellow. I hope it makes you smile too! 

W is for...Weird News

I get really wound up watching the news on TV, as it always feels like they are either catastrophising issues or trying to sway us to one opinion or another by a biased use of the facts. I prefer to read the news on the internet (usually the BBC or Telegraph websites), although I do watch local news which tends to be less irritating. And I have to just mention a particular pet hate of mine, which is the outside broadcast - frequently this will be from outside a victim or suspect's house, a court after hours or somewhere equally unnecessary. Do we really need to hear the news being read from the spot that it happened or from outside a house? No. Does it add anything to the broadcast? No. 

So I read the news online mostly, so I can choose which stories interest me, look up other opinions and compare what different reporters have to say. After skimming through the main headlines and reading any interesting stories, I'll usually have a quick look at the 'weird news' section. If you just need something lighthearted after reading about all the death and despair in the world, then this is the place to head to! For instance, today I read about the Brazilian girl selling most of her 1.6m long hair to get herself out of poverty, about the woman who saved her dog from the claws of an eagle that swooped down to grab it, and that tourism in Kazakhstan has increased tenfold all thanks to Borat! You don't generally get that information on News at 10!

V is for...Vampire Films

I admit I love a good vampire film or TV show. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favourite show of all time, closely followed by Angel. I don't watch all vampire related shows, and have yet to see The Vampire Diaries, or get into True Blood. When it comes to vampire films, here are some of my favourites:

• Blade (1998) - very cool vampire superhero action film

• Let the Right One In (2008) - moving Swedish child vampire story 

• Daybreakers (2009) - surviving the vampire plague

 

• Dracula (1992) - no explanation required here!

• And......I am Legend (2007) which isn't strictly a vampire film, but as Wikipedia says, the virus sweeping the world creates vampiristic beings.

U is for...Unicorns

Enjoy a fab collection of unicorn-based craft from Etsy here as a treasury! Finally worked out how to get an image on here!!!

T is for...Turin Brakes

It's rare to find an artist whose music you are always in the mood to listen to. I have music for all of my different moods, but there is one band who just seems to tick every box for me, and that is Turin Brakes. I first heard them back in 2001 with the song 'The Door':

I then bought their first album 'The Optimist LP' and there began my love affair. Described on Wikipedia as a modern folk duo, I've never really been sure what musical category they belong to. 'Folk' always conjures up very different images, but I guess it is indie acoustic modern folk (!). Their songs are beautifully written and the lead singer has an amazing quality to his voice that I could literally listen to forever. I've had the privilege to see them live quite a few times now and every time they were just brilliant; with little gem covers like these thrown in:

I've laughed, cried, read, relaxed, danced and fallen asleep/woken up to their music for the last 11 years, and I hope they continue to make such amazing, beautiful and sincere music for the next 11 and beyond.  Thank you Turin Brakes.

S is for ...Supernatural

When my TV decided to give up on life last month I was thrown into the rather confusing world of the electrical retail store. Faced with an abundance of shiny sexy gadgets, I eventually emerged with a Smart TV. That's right, even the TVs are getting education these days. For those of you who are obviously still living in last week, a Smart TV is one that can connect to the internet. It sounds like a useless gimmick, until you realise it means you can watch YouTube, BBC iplayer and other internet-based film/music channels through your TV - yay.

Netflix had not long launched in the UK, but after buying said Smart TV, I discovered that it isn't actually that smart after all. Sony TVs don't support Netflix! You what?! Yes, that was my reaction, but after some digging and poking on the net, I found that there is a way to watch the US version of Netflix here in the UK. You have to tiptoe quietly in the backdoor of US Netflix, via a site called Unblock Us, which sets you up as if you were located in the US. Then after entering some funny numbers in your TV and some unknown jiggery pokery.....dah dah....you have access to a veritable smorgasboard of entertainment! 

Onto the supposed subject of my post - I finally plucked up the courage to watch Supernatural (I scare super easily!), and I am officially addicted. I have a rule though - I don't watch it on my own if it is dark; just in case. It isn't actually scary at the time, but alone late at night, my mind has a tendency to replay and imagine stuff I'd rather not see. The best bit of the show isn't the rather attractive young men who play Sam and Dean (although older brother Dean especially is very, very easy on the eye), and it's not the similarity to my favourite show of all time (Buffy), it's the fact that I have a whole SEVEN seasons to catch up on, and they are still making more. Happy days.

R is for ...Refreshers

Just a little moan today about my childhood, and probably all time, favourite sweets; Refreshers. I could, and have many times, munched my way through a whole packet in about 5 minutes. I've tried endless variations on ways to devour them too - sucking, licking, crunching, I've tried them all (ahem). I've even managed to suck right through the middle to turn them into whole Refreshers 'polos'. 

However, there seems to be an issue of late with my favourite sugar snack, and that involves the word 'natural' which now appears on the beautiful multicolour packet of dreams. Natural flavourings only is great for things like yoghurt or fruit drinks, but is it really necessary to change the amazing taste of these incredibly unique and special sweets in order to make them natural? They are pink, green, yellow and orange fizzy discs - that is not remotely natural. It is not as if anyone consumes these as a part of their daily diet is it? I just don't see why sugary, yes-they-rot-your-teeth-but occasionally-as-a-treat-is-OK sweets need to be made from natural colours and flavourings. If it could be done with no compromise on taste I would support it fully, but they are just not the same.

I'm going to see if I can get my hands on any black market unnatural Refreshers. I'll be the one hanging round street corners asking if you've got any sweets.

Q is for ...Quixotic

Q always causes problems. In scrabble it's the annoyance of needing a U to make a word. Unless you're one of those irritating people that scour the official Scrabble dictionary to come up with stupid words that noone has ever heard of (if you are one of those people, you might like to look here!). 

The only thing I've bought lately that starts with a Q is the album Quixotic by Martina Topley-Bird. By choosing this as my daily post, I am giving those aforementioned Scrabble enthusiasts a new killer word - Q and X means a pretty big score - imagine that on a triple word-er!  The album itself, incidentally is really good, but hard to describe. I suggest you have a listen to some tracks on her myspace page and make up your own mind. 

So, what the hell does quixotic mean anyway? Well,  According to dictionary.com it has 3 meanings, so we can take our pick;

1. resembling or befitting Don Quixote
2. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical or impracticable
3. impulsive and often rashly unpredictable

I like number 3 best. I wonder if I can get quixotic into a sentence today...........

P is for...Picmonkey

A quick post on the eve of the closure of Picnik to spread the brilliant news about Picmonkey. Created by some of the engineers behind Picnik, Picmonkey has most of the same features already (with more to come), and some new ones too. The best bit though is that it is even faster! (And has a cool monkey logo!!)

O is for...Origami

I bought myself an Origami 365 desk calendar this year, and I found my childhood origami book, so I have been keeping busy making cute little paper models. There are some free origami instructions available on the net too, so you can have a go right now!

My favourite model so far is the goldfish!!

N is for...Nails

On 31st Dec 2011 I gave up a habit of a lifetime (literally), when I stopped biting my nails. I was so ashamed of having ugly, chewed and sore nails, that I somehow managed to give up. I have had a few struggles and currently 2 nails are lower than the others, but I'm pretty sure they will catch up without me chewing them again.  It might not last forever, but while it does I am enjoying using nail varnish. I've been searching the net for some easy, but fancy, nail designs I could try out myself. There are a fair few tutorials out there, which is great for me because I've never had nails to do anything with before, so am a bit clueless. Follow the links on these photos to see the tutorials on the various sites - they are so creative and well worth a look!

Source: daintysquid.blogspot.com via Allie on Pinterest

Source: thebeautydepartment.com via Zoe on Pinterest

Source: tinytangerines.com via Diana on Pinterest

Source: chloesnails.blogspot.com via Maureen on Pinterest

M is for...Music

I can't really play any instruments, and I definitely can't sing, but I do love music. I have to make do with listening to other people play and sing, but I guess that's not too bad considering. I can always (and do) warble along to their songs anyway. I've made a conscious effort to discover even more music lately, and have been rewarded with some corkers! Here are some of the songs and artists I thought were worth sharing with you all. Hope you find something you like.......and I'd love to hear from you if you do!

L is for... Lalaloopsy

Yes I know how old I am, but Lalaloopsy dolls are just so adorable. They were once rag dolls who came to life when their very last stitch was sewn! They each have personalities that come from the fabrics used to create them. In another life, I think I could have been the creator of Lalaloopsy - button eyes, vintage fabrics, tea, baking, sewing - all very 'me' - but alas, I just have to make do with collecting them instead. 

My latest 2 mini dolls are Sir Battlescarred and Lady Stillwaiting, who come with such cute little accessories and pets too (a dragon and a unicorn). You can use their packaging as a little scene/house too.

My large doll is Prairie Dusty Trails. I bought her because she has brown hair, and as a child I was always annoyed by the amount of blonde dolls compared to brunettes. Seems this has carried on into adulthood.

K is for... Karl Pilkington

As soon as I discovered the Ricky Gervais podcasts I was hooked. Not on him, but on his 'sidekick' and producer, Karl Pilkington. There is no better man to introduce him than Ricky himself, so take a look at this if you fancy a laugh!! There are plenty more where this came from. I have cried with laughter at his little ideas and phrases, and I hope you will too.

Oh, just one more...........go on............

J is for... Jewellery

One of my goals on my '30 before 30' project list this year was to make myself a pair of earrings. They are now complete!

I had so much fun choosing the supplies and finding others in charity shops, that I'm going to be making some more jewellery, and maybe even some to sell in my shop too! We'd all love to be able to buy lots of expensive classic jewellery, but even if I could I'd still be tempted by all the cheap and funky jewellery in the shops. These are some of my favourite little finds:

I is for ... Iwako Erasers

They aren't just any ordinary erasers - these ones come in very cute, intricate designs; including animals, food and even transport! They are Japanese, but a great shop to buy them from in the UK is Fun Art Online. They aren't the cheapest erasers I've ever bought, but I think I'll get my moneys worth by using them as photo props. I already used my little cows for the Project 52 theme of 'variety', and I know they will feature a lot more in the next few months. 

You can also get these fab little tins to store them in!

Fancy a biccie with your tea?!

H is for ...the Happiness Project

A short mention today of the great book by Gretchen Rubin called The Happiness Project, where she devoted a year of her life to trying to make herself happier. I can see how it could split readers because the author took a very systematic, rational approach to happiness, whereas many people think happiness is not something that can be worked on in this way. I like organisation and structure so I really enjoyed it. I tried to create a Happiness Project plan of my own, but due to things being a bit all over the place this last 6 months, it hasn't really panned out yet. Hopefully when I've got things a bit more settled in my everyday life then I will be able to work out a plan to stick to. So, it's not for everyone, but if you like this sort of approach then give it a read!!

G is for... Goodreads.com

I can't remember how I discovered goodreads.com, but I will definitely be using it from now on. Goodreads is a site where users can record the books they've read, and give them ratings and reviews. This information is catalogued in a social networking kind of way, so that you can add friends and see what others are reading. Once you have added and rated 20 books, goodreads uses an algorithm to recommend further books you might enjoy - genius!

Even if you simply use it to keep a private record of your reading, I think goodreads is brilliant for everyone. And it is totally free. You can also add a 'currently reading' badge to your blog (like I have in my sidebar), and one showing a list of your favourite books, so your followers can join in too. I'm currently reading Catch 22, and it is a very different book to anything else I've read, but enjoyable so far. Add me on goodreads and you can find out what I thought of it once I've finished!!!