Back again

I've just realised that I haven't been posting in this for a long while. Well, that's a bit of an understatment, for it seems more than a long while.

I've been pretty busy over the last two months, what with work (waking up at 6am and getting back at 7pm) and redrafting the novel, which I've realised is not quite ready for publication, as there still needs to be some tweaks here and there.

Its been a shitty few weeks, and I'm not really in the mood to talk about them. For starters I need to find a new job, and thats all I feel confident enough to say for now. I'm going to refrain from making some catty remarks about certain people, for they are no longer in my life and most importantly, they are not worth acknowledging, let alone wasting a word on this blog on.

Anyways, theres nothing much to report, other than I'm working hard.

New Addiction: Daisy De Villeneuve

On the way home on the bus, I could not help but feel an uplifting blend of relief and happiness, as down-trodden factories and barren parklands rolled past the window. Yes, I was going home and this weekend, I will be allowed to wake up at any time past 6:30.

But other than the waking hours and the slight lack of sleep, I can’t really say a bad thing about work. No longer will I be writing boring press releases about soils and prestigious lectures, but rather research on interesting people. For those who don’t know, my job involves me Googling C to Z list celebrities in the name of research. I’ll be honest, some of these well-known people are boring and perhaps pathetic, but others are truly mesmerising and the person this blog is about is no exception.

Daisy de Villeneuve is a London-born illustrator, designer and writer. During her career, she has designed for Topshop, Boots, Moet and Chandon and V&A. And most recently, she has designed textiles for Zac Posen’s Z Spoke Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Just check out the explosion of kaleidoscopic prints below.



Pictures taken from DaisyDeVilleneuve.com




Pictures taken from Stylist Stuff.com

I’ve got to say, despite the child-like simplicity of her illustrations, they undeniably have a London-esque sophistication about them, dusted with plenty of chirpy fun. In all, they are deliciously quirky. My favourite has to be the illustrations she did for Elle Decoration back in July 2007.



Pictures taken from DaisyDeVilleneuve.com

To conclude, in the years I studied Fashion and Textiles at college, I cannot believe I did not notice this woman.

First week of 2011: Now I'm the one who's Wilted

The first week of 2011 hasn’t really been the best. Now, that’s not to say that it was completely littered with downs. I’m just saying that there could have been more luck than misfortune. But hey, at least its proof that having a white peacock as a screensaver does not bring food fortune. Damn the fool who went around saying that!

The first misfortune was thus. I received an email from Rikhi on Tuesday, who told me that my short story 'Wilted' narrowly missed the final selection. It took me a few days to admit this, as the waft of disappointment doesn’t completely drift away.

I also have a feeling that The Literary Agent may have rejected my manuscript, but are being a little sadistic in their response. It is almost like they want to me to hope for two months before they come swooping down and then stab at my chest with their beaks, pulling out my heart like hungry vultures. Yes, I think that might have been a little too dramatic.

At least Conville and Walsh were quick with their reply. The sooner I get that big envelope pushed through my letter box, the sooner I will be able to send it to someone else and if it gets rejected again, it will be case of having to redraft it again.

But on the plus side, I start my new job next week. I went to see the editor of DD magazine on Tuesday morning, for I wasn’t able to see her before Christmas because of the snow. Speaking of snow, it is becoming a piece of shit nuisance that really should fuck off. I can’t really say much about the meeting, because I’m not allowed post on the firm’s business. But I can say that I spent all of this week coming up with ideas for the next issue. I’ve got more than enough now, so I can chill for the next few days before I don the workware again.

Last Day of 2010

I completely forgot this is the last day of 2010, until my dad reminded me. As cliqued as this is, what can I say? 2010 has been a very stagnant year and to some, a bit of a bastard, considering that the Tories have gotten into power, the LibDems went back on their word and as a result, most college leavers won’t be able to go to university.

Has it been a bastard to me? Yes and No.

Yes, because my ex moved on with someone else, resulting in me struggling to concentrate on my university work and feeling depressed 99.9% of the time. But, I think his indifference was a wake up call, which in the long run was good for me, for I feel absolutely nothing for him now. And can I just throw out…being detached is a very, very good feeling.

Finding work after graduating has been a piss take. It got so bad to the point where I had to settle for an unpaid internship, which wasn’t very pleasant. It was like working in Azkaban with a bunch of Dementors. Yes, in all seriously, their bitterness and ugly personalities really do suck the life out of you. But because of this, I managed to find a paid job at the end of the year (although the first 3 weeks will be an internship), so it all worked out in the end.

And the latest misfortune happened this morning, when I found a thick A4 envelope shoved through my letter box, which I instantly recognised as the one I sent to Conville and Walsh. Yes, I knew I was rejected before I read the letter accompanied with my synopsis and chapters. Although they read with interest and really enjoyed reading my work, they felt it wasn’t quite suitable to be on their list. But they did encourage me to sent my work to other agencies and publishers, which was what I did later today. I’ve got a feeling I might be rejected by the agency I sent the copies to, but according to the ‘Writer’s Market’, they do offer constructive criticism when they return stuff, so at least I will know the strengths and weaknesses from a publisher’s point of view.

But 2010 hasn’t been all bad; in fact it was brimming with achievements and exciting people and experiences.

For starters, I graduated with a degree back in May. Although I didn’t attend my Graduation, seeing my certificate in print was a pretty proud moment…it was like being told that I’m officially a graduate. I also managed to complete a novel. After eight months of writing, redrafting and writer’s fatigue, I proved to myself that I could indeed do whatever if I put my mind to it.

Year 2010 is also the year I made some of the most amazing chums. I developed my friendship with Jason, who I befriended at the end of 2009, after one year of being estranged. We became much closer after my ex moved on, because Jason had been in the same situation with his ex girlfriend, who also moved on. Its strange how these things bring people together.

Ashish and Birmingham David were also amazing; giving me advice with the novel, as well as taking me out every other weekend. They’re both different, Ashish is very hyper-active, doing funny impressions and gestures, whereas David is much more reserved and bookish by comparison. But they’re both equally great to hang out with. I also made good friends with Janet, who I mostly ignored at university, as there was no opportunity for us to be acquainted. But we got talking during our 3rd year lectures, since we sat together and found that we were quite compatible as friends.

But the largest highlights were the holidays. I went to Morocco after I left university, which was a pretty amazing experience. Even when we stepped off the plane, it felt like a different place, as the smell of earth, dusk and dirt filled the air. Market places were brimming with beaded necklaces, filigree lanterns, tagines and beaded hangings. And dancers and flute players performed in small spaces during the night.

We also went on a road trip around Scotland. Edinburgh had an old grandeur about it, despite the modern shops and teens in Topshop gear - it was probably because of the old honeyed buildings and Art Nuevo architecture. Oban and Ben Nevis were the same as they were since I last visited four years ago and Glasgow had the same ambience as any average city.

I’m hoping that 2011 will be a better year. I hope the new job goes swimmingly and someone decides to publish my novel. For the mean time I can only hope and pray.

As for tonight, I’m not sure what I am going to do…I’m too skint to travel all the way to Wolves or Birms to see friends. I think my family might make some last minute plans and go out for dinner and some drinks.

MY PERSONAL TOP TEN SONGS OF 2010

After reading David Well’s ‘Top 10 of 2010’, I thought I’d do some thieving and create my own top Ten as well. I was careful to put in ‘personal’, as I don’t want ‘real music’ fans silently demanding why certain artists are in the list and accusing me of having ‘shit taste in music’.
So yes, this list is a little ‘chavvy’ or ‘Poppy’ for some tastes, but that’s only because I’m terrible at keeping up to date with new music. But these are some of the tracks I know were released this year and were either so good or annoyingly catchy; they made me abuse the Reply button on Youtube.


10) Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars – “Billionaire” Yes, it’s an unusual song for me to pick, as it shouldn’t be to my tastes. For starters, it an RnB song, with some materialistic and greedy themes for its lyrics, which is pretty self explanatory from the title. But in this case, the acoustic guitar and the garnish of Jamaican drums segregate it from the generic crap. It is these elements that give the song the same laid-back coolness and mellow ambiance as that of an LA beach during sunset.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain that this song is gay. But just because something is not your cup of tea, does not make it so (is gay even an adjective?). You cannot deny that Bruno Mars has a great voice and Travie McCoy can rap very well. In fact, this song does not work without either of them, as I stumbled upon a group covering this song on the X Factor and they did it no justice.

9) Lady Gaga – “Telephone”I am not a Lady Gaga fan. I don’t like most of her songs and as for her image, I think it’s a little too out there, with her zombie-corpse dresses and space-ship hats. Before you know it, she will shave her head and stick Russian Pom-Pom balls all over it. Don’t give her ideas, I hear you shout.
I also hear some of you shout, “so why have you included this?”. It’s simple. It’s a good pop song, which I understand is an oxymoron to some people. But once you give this a listen, it becomes addictive. Well for me anyways. There’s little to really dislike about this as a pop song: it’s edgy, loud and has more energy than a bottle of Lucazade. But no disrespect to Gaga, as much as I’m not an admirer, I do appreciate that she thinks outside the box at times, what with quirky but catchy intros like “Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-roma-mamaa! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!”. And Telephone really isn’t an exception to this, as the beginning starts with a floaty keyboard that literally sounds like a lute.

8) Cyprus Hill and Tom Morello – “Rise Up”I'm a bit of a Tom Morello fan, as I like ‘Rage Against the Machine’ and ‘Audioslave’. However, and I know some of you will hate me for this, but have never liked Cyprus Hill. Not even their 90s classic ‘Jump Around’. So I’m not sure if I like this song because they are collaborating with Morello, or they are developing into something I might actually like. But either way, it doesn’t really matter. Accompanied by a Sin-City style music video, the song screams out with funk beats and banging riffs. Yes, it’s loud, it’s gutsy and it’s f***ing awesome.

7) Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)”I’ve never been much of an appreciater of the Black Eyed Peas, as I’ve never really been into Hip-Hop. Granted, a few of their songs are really good, like ‘Pump It’, ‘Boogie that Be’ and ‘Lets get it started’. Alright, one or two on this list are more catchy than really good. But, ‘The Time’ I would put in the latter category. No, it’s not their usual Hip-Hip sound, but rather techno, which I will openly admit to being a bit of a fan of. Alright, a huge fan. Taking a sample from Dirty Dancing’s ‘Time of my Life’, this is the perfect fusion of fist-thumping dance and rap, the sort of song you’d go crazy to in a nightclub, even when you’re not fuelled with booze.

6) Ellie Goulding – “Your Song”I don’t object to cover versions as long as they don’t sound karaoke and the artist puts their own personal stamp on it. This is why I adore this rendition of Elton John’s ‘Your Song’. The beauty and snowflake fragility of Goulding’s vocals and piano reminds me of Victoria Bergsman‘s version of Sweet Child of Mine, which ironically was also used in the John Lewis Christmas advert last year. Yes, because of this, ‘Your Song’ is the perfect winter song, and worked beautifully in the backdrop of the advert, which depicted snow covered landscapes and people preparing for Christmas.

5)Eliza Dolittle – “Pack Up”This number is as summery and refreshing as a glass of Pimms. Unfortunately, I only heard of this song through the X Factor, when I caught a clip of someone singing it on boot camp. But luckily, Dolittle’s album was advertised on TV, which made it easy to find this song on YouTube. It’s definitely a song most people, including myself, can relate to, for unfortunately, bitter losers who feel the need to spew their venom do exist in this world. Dolittle’s beautiful and emotive vocals give the lyrics the fragility it needs. But its Lloyd Wade’s powerful vocals as he boasts out a sample of 'Pack Up Your Troubles…' that injects the two fingered ‘whatever!’ vibe. But at the same time, his soulful voice enables the song to retain its prettiness, the sort you find in Cath Kidston accessories – quirky, dainty, with a very retro feel.

4) The Prodigy – “Stand Up” Yes, I’m aware that including this song is kind of cheating, as it was never really released as a single. But it was included in the film Kick-Ass and its soundtrack CD, so technically it is still a song that was made public. This may sound a little controversial, but I much prefer their come-back efforts to their earlier tracks, and this single just comes to show that the band can throw in new influences and sounds and make it sound just as brilliant as their usual stuff. “Stand Up” is a burst of loud and confident trumpets, cymbals and electronics, which easily makes it one of the best releases of this year for me.

3) Sex Bob-Omb (Beck) – “Threshold” Here I am cheating again, by including another soundtrack and (shock-horror!) by a band that doesn’t even exist. But, as I pointed out before, it was made public this year. The song is taken from the film ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ and was written by Beck. I’m not surprised that the Indie icon wrote this, as he’s churned out plenty of great quality songs, even in the pop genre (Check out ‘Feel Good Time’, sung by Pink). And by no means, is this any different. The song has just as much energy and colour as the film it was featured in. With Cera screaming that his band are here to make us “think about death and get sad and stuff”, the track then explodes with thrashing drums and smoking riffs. And both were too awesome to me think of death and make me feel depressed.

2) Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”This number two choice may be a little biased as I’m a bit of a Linkin Park fan, although I only got into their music recently, after a friend at university got me into them. Personally, I don’t think their new sound is as exciting and angsty as the stuff they’ve done before with Hybrid Theory, but I love the fact that they’re not scared to develop and try new things, without becoming too Poppy and diluted. *Cough*, Kings of Leon, *Cough*. But I love this song; the chorus has the sort of sentiment and beauty you'd find in most tracks on Incubus's 'Morning View'. And the instrumentals are fresh with experimental tinkering above the drum beats and piano.

1) Plan B – “She Said”This is the first time I’ve heard of Plan B, since MTV2 was taken off me three years ago and I had to hear about new songs from other people’s Myspace Pages, and visits down the nightclub. I’m going to be honest; I was never really a huge fan, being a scarf-donning Indie kid at the time. But I did appreciate his style, as he was not your typical British rapper, combining acoustic guitar with lyrics about personal hardship. And it is because of this lukewarm appreciation that this song hit me like a snowball. No, it’s not your typical song. In fact it doesn’t really fit in any genre, as it’s a dichotomous mixture of retro soul and rap, complete with subtle trumpets and laid-back beats. And guess what, it f***ing works.

Merry (belated) Christmas

Merry belated Christmas!

I could have wished everyone best wishes yesterday, but I had no access to a laptop as I was at my brother and sister-in-law’s house.

My parents, older brother and I spent Christmas at their place yesterday. It was strange spending Christmas in a different house, as we have always spent it in this scutty little living room with its faded wallpaper and piles of books and boxes. But I’ve got to say, my brother’s spacious living room and simple modern look was a perfect place to have dinner.

The afternoon was spent eating chocolates from my brother’s Christmas hamper. Every Christmas his workplace gives him a free hamper to enjoy over the holidays, which normally comprises of Lily O’Brian chocolate, fruit cakes, dried fruit and Pringles. Speaking of the latter, the Onion and Sour Cream favour is extremely addictive. My brother and I finished three quarters of the tube in one go!

Anyways, this was the first time my mum did not nag at me to cut down on my sugar intake. After all, Christmas is all about indulgence and I think she got that. Although she was stingy enough to tell me that I’m only allowed one glass of alcohol. I was planning to rebel anyways, as this was Bailey’s with crème Caramel…the most amazing alcoholic drink on the ace of this planet. But I got a little drunk to the point where I felt the need to sleep, much to my sister in law and older brother’s amusement, as they thought the sight was very funny.

Luckily I was fine by the end of the Christmas meal, which was lovely, brimming with Turkey, ham, cheese and cauliflower, sweetened carrots/turnips and roast potatoes. Oh those roast potatoes…

As we watched Christmas movies on TV, I got a text from one of my friends Jas…well, I’m not sure if I can call him that, I’ve been referring to him as an acquaintance ever since I made the mature decision to forgive him after he broke my heart two summers ago. Not that I have feeling for him, far from it. Or that I feel weird about the tiny bit of history between us. By the way, it’s not a bad one that makes it impossible to be friends, but just a bit of it. I won’t go into detail about it as I’d much rather forget about it. But let’s just say that I was insanely in love with him for two years and there was a brief mutual attraction between us.

Anyways, the problem is that looking back on the way he broke my heart, I sometimes feel I may have been too soft to forgive him, considering that I have a stubborn idea as to what a moral person is and isn’t. But since he had the courage to get back into contact, I can’t help but admire that, since I know I can never do it when feeling remorse and regret over my actions.

He texted me a Merry Christmas and asked me if I wanted to meet up with him next week. Since I feel nothing for him, I felt it would be best to return the kind offer by agreeing. Plus, perhaps a face-to-face meeting might convince me that I’m being too judgemental about his mistakes and perhaps might put the water fully under the bridge. And I could also do with an outing, as I have been living like a hermit for the past few weeks.

The day was finished by watching Star Trek (the one with the oh-so-sexy Chris Pine) and Eastenders. With regards to the latter, I’m glad that they did not kill off Stacey Branning, as another dramatic death would have been ridiculous. It’s bad enough they killed off Stacey’s husband Bradley, who was much more likeable that some of the characters that are still alive…i.e most of them.

So yes, Christmas day was brilliant, although Boxing Day will be spend at home as I’m not materialistic enough to buy clothes I don’t need AND I do not want to be trampled by greedy women rushing to buy the best items at cheaper prices.

Snow, Snow, Go away. Come again another day

Yes, you read correctly. I really do want the snow to go away. But rest assured, I am never usually this grouchy when it comes to Little Miss Pretty applying some much needed foundation to a common estate, as shown in the picture.

On Wednesday morning (before the interview), I received emails from ‘The Literary Agents’ and ‘Conville and Walsh’, giving me permission to send them my opening chapters, synopsis and covering letter. I was planning to go on Thursday, however a woman called Maya, who works under Ann Gough, asked me to come into Wolverhampton College to return my ID card and to tell her about how my placement went. Seeing this as pointless, I asked her if I could send the card by post. Unfortunately she was adamant that I come to see her.

So I spent Thursday morning brushing up the chapters and making sure everything was perfect to the point where I knew I was going to be running late for my meeting. I’m not sure whether this was due to dodgy hormones or stress, but I really did not care, as I planned to turn up late just to spite Maya or whoever ordered her to email me. But luckily, my dad arrived and offered to give me a lift, as Daysavers are a little costly.

I turned up to the college to find that Maya was an attractive young girl, who looked to be around 18 or 19 years old. But during our casual conversation, I was shocked to find she was actually 25. There really must be something in the chapattis. Anyways, I felt a little guilty cursing her prior to our meeting, as I found out that my old placement specifically told her to give them the card by hand. I can’t really argue with that and I could easily throw in some catty remarks about Vickie (especially with regards to her looks and weight), but I won’t. Unlike some people I have dignity.

On Friday, I spent the morning procrastinating, listening to Indie, Rock and Metal tunes, before I finally managed to persuade myself to do some work. I guess the fears of rejection made me double check the 3 chapters and synopsis and funnily enough, I did find some grammatical errors and parts where the sentences were a little awkward or muddied. I think my proofreading is improving now.

Content with every single document, I planned to go to the library today to print them out, only to find my estate caked in snow this morning. I could have gone and stopped being a wuss, but my dad said I would be better off at home, as the temperature outside is horribly low and I have recovered from two sniffles in the past few weeks.

So my new plan is to go on Monday, for the editor of DD magazine called me yesterday to come into the office to see her. Yes, it looks like I will finally have a paid job. According to forecasts, it will be sunny tomorrow and foggy on Monday, so the roads won’t be too bad and I will be able to run my errands. Perhaps I will buy a new diary as well.