Great day for students of art!

Cass art student day!  What a day!  Everything 50% off along with a fabulous goodie bag full of arty treats all packaged in their slick purple totes.  Sure, i might have waited two hours, but that enormous glow across my cheeks as I proudly slung my freebies over my shoulder was well worth the agnsty wait.  Included was a kit for an alien pupppet show!  Should be airing shortly... can't wait!

Ladies who dominate

Damn, some girls need to chill out. Whilst talking to a manager of an accounting firm, he informed me that the ladies at the top of their game were the ones' to look out for, especially when it came to evaluating the office.  This is because high-level accounting positions seem to still be male-dominated so any lucky lassie to have a high up position is hard as boots and a lot less than chilled out!  He said if a tax inspector comes to question your accounts you'd better pray it's a man, cause those chicks ain't gonna let nothing slide: imagine your mum inspecting your room before you've got relatives to stay.  I shudder to apply the same demon to any high power position.  It does seem to reflect a view of women as being less competent or easily replaceable or softer spirited or i dunno, but it's something a bit scary and totally not sexy.

Coraline

So Coraline should be another level of creepy considering i have the disposition more pitiful than the cowardly lion but it has to be said that this really striked me as being shockingly dark for a childrens' film.  Don't get me wrong though!  The stop-motion animation was a treat for the eyes and the music quite dark and satisfyingly chilling.  For those who don't know, it's about a girl called Coraline who moves house and her parents' are very busy and stressed out and have zero time for Coraline.  In her boredom she eventually finds a portal to a parallel world where her 'other mother' lives, originally a paradise but as time progresses you see how she is trying to trap Coraline in her web of deceit and lies with an ultimate aim of keeping her there.  It's impossible to appreciate how much work has gone into this mini masterpiece

Top 10 lecture essentials!

Well as I start to get back into the usual uni routine I begin to remember all those challenges I faced.  Staying awake being the most daunting and recurring, however I have noticed that one year on the lectures get more exciting and I seem to need a lot more sleep!  So, whilst thinking about what to take to keep me bushy tailed throughout the day, the ThereSheGoes Top 10 lecture essentials list emerged!

1.So to start us off, A good night's sleep!  Now this is boring!  So freshers must ignore this since first year (sometimes) doesn't count and the lectures are easier to catch up on :3
2. For those of us who love surfing youtube until late in the pm, there's my uber fave on the list - coffee!  Take a flask with you and get a regulated hit of caffeine throughout your lectures.
3. Especially for the summer months, a water bottle.  Those lecture theaters can get kinda hot and sweaty with all those people and all that *ahem* brain power!  Keep hydrated and cool by popping it in the freezer when you wake up and grabbing it before you go (yes, i've forgotten my water bottle so many times from doing this!)
4. sweaty lecture theater's brings me onto number 4 - deodorant!  I am the unfortunate breed of people who sweat if I so much as stand up.  My face goes bright red and it makes wearing my hair down a faff! (any tips on taming hair?)  So deodorant keeps me fresh
5. Speaking of sweating, a film of perspiration on the forehead makes for good film montages where our genius is so perplexed by a problem, however I prefer dewy and bright so I always (always) always keep a pot of 'Bare Escentials Mineral Veil' plus brush in a special make up bag.  So easy to just whip out and buff on!
6. On especially long days I also take a spare vest top! (I know what you're thinking - is it like the desert in my uni?)  Well for those who have to travel by underground trains will know all about desert-heat already.
7. A piece of fruit, my particular favourites are an orange or a kiwi.  These are sweet to snack on and keeps you from raiding the vending machines between lectures!
8.  My notebooks, but this is kind of obvious :P  You are at uni to study after all!
9. My umbrella.  Simple black one which goes with anything, especially when it's not cold enough to be wearing a raincoat.
10. A smaller bag to keep all my life essentials in - like IDs and phone, keys etc.  This means they aren't all rattling around in my bag and I know exactly where to find them: keeping panics to a minimum!

So this is how I like to weigh down my bag, anyone else got some sweet tips?

Favourite underwear?

Everyone knows that underwear drawers (or in my case, boxes) will never look like a girly boudoir where everything is frothy and bras are paired with matching panties like an organised, perfect kingdom of laciness.  I'd imagine my perfect boudoir to have walls covered in beads.
This sudden, unexpected passion for lingerie stems from a recent purchase of a particularly sexy set from MnS, which is expensive however, I have found, unmatched in the high street for both fit and sexiness.  This particular apricot-coloured number is a balcony bra with thick, black shoulder straps (reminiscent, i think, of a Chanel ribbon) with white, snowflake-esque lace at the front with matching panties (or a thong! for the less faint of heart).  The colour scheme is girly but naughty, refined and sexy.  Without a doubt my new favourite matching set, paired up with black stockings and the night is yours for the taking!

Cowboys and Aliens

So it must be said, no one expected Cowboys and Aliens to be amazing.  It's also got to be that, that it wasn't.  The beginning was slow and the super sexy leads (Mr Daniel Craig and Megan Fox) who had all the potential in the world for some mind blowing-ly flirtatious glances which were not taken advantage of.  It's not that I uphold the values that sex should sell films, just that it would have made it a hell of a lot more fun to watch.  Point made: my boy actually managed to doze off, which lead to his popcorn mysteriously vanishing.  It also made me think how grateful i was that i hadn't paid for hte film, since it would have been a frustrating waste of money, especially for a film so full of potential alien ass-whopping.  This also brings me to a small tangent about 'Signs' by Stephen Spielberg, who likes his silent heroes.  The film was slowly but steadily paced and it was interesting to watch, but as soon as they figured out hte aliens could be destroyed by water, opening the golden gates to some heavenly exhilarating alien ass-kicking (i'm thinking fire engines and the like), the film cut to 6 months later!  After all hte alien butt-whopping action had taken place!  What a massive disappointment and a beautiful opportunity lost.

Skiving ballet classes

Over hte past year I have started to suffer hte side effects of ageing, walking everywhere and wearing gorgeous shoes.  My feet are becoming painful whenever I walk and It's coincided with me moving to a concrete city and , in my opinion, skiving off ballet.  My sister's devotion to the subject really makes me envious of the discipline she has over her body, and i've realised is also probably fantastic at keeping my foot strength optimum, which in turn would take away my pain.
A friend of mine (a paramedic) told me of an ex-ballerina (a pro, about 50 now), who was dancing for 30 years.  She had an accident and ended up having her kneecap removed after it shattered (yeah i know, ouch).  Depending on how stringent with physio you are you can gain a lot of use of your knee back, because the kneecap is there to help hold everything together.  However the muscles in her legs were so strong that she gained a good 90% of the use of her knee and realised that, although she wasn't going to dance again (she'd already retired though) that she could live without her kneecap.  Ah the amazingness of physical strength.

So Gleeky

Now the issue with several tv series is that there is a very large screaming-fangirl fanbase which very very often puts people off checking out what would otherwise be a cool series.  Now clearly twilight is a good example of screaming fangirls putting the sane off watching the films, in this case however I think the fangirls are protecting the public.  However I have recenetly discovered Glee.  Don't get me wrong, I used to not be a believer but after watching possibly the best gay  kiss scene I've ever come across I was enticed to watch the series from the beginning and watch the growth of the gay relationship (cause i do have a bit of a thing for gaydom) and found that the series is actually pretty good.  It's well written and funny and heartwarming.

Something else that vexed me with the series was that they sung other peoples' songs - especially in the case of the Lady Gaga themed episode where I was mortified that the cast of Glee were getting credit for Gaga's version of 'Poker Face'.  it just made me a little mad, however after introducing myself to it slowly i've come to realise that they're not doing it to be cool but to express themselves.  Anyway, to stop me sounding like a total pansy (it's all about loving who you are!) instead I'll just put it out there that Glee is actually a pretty neat series to watch, and that maybe you should give episode 1 a chance.

Body pressures

Body pressure is, certianly in my case, the biggest and most recurring fear of my life.  And it is a fear - it's scary how much I think about it in a day, let alone my whole life and it's equally chilling watching the way it affects  my behaviour and how I react to it.  I obsess over food, I am a self-proclaimed binger and i'm certain I have a problem with comfort eating and can never have a guilt-free moment.  It's all made worse by the naturally skinny girls who were at my school who could afford to shovel junk food due to their perfect metabolisms - and good on them: may they reproduce and create the next generation of kids who don't have to be body concious.  Sadly, i'm not like that.  Lots of people aren't.

Something i try and think about is why skinny people don't obsess over food and I think it's because they have more to occupy themselves with.  This is partly why I've started a blog, as a way of giving me something to do to distract me from thinking about food and ultimately eating.  I find it hard to have nice food in the house and not eat it however when i'm doing something (art, reading etc) my whole conscience can be poured into that activity.

I think of lots of my friends who are overweight or chubby and I know that I never hate on them for eating and I don't judge them for neglecting exercise and I have to tell myself that they would only think the same about me.  The battle against my bad eating habits continues and we all continue to be told that skinny is pretty and anything else is failure.

Not gay enough for G.A.Y!

Our plans to go out were foiled again!  As it turns out the club hires a separate scanning company who are hired at nearly 30 gay clubs/bars in Loon-don so they basically know all the regulars and have access to the paying members of the club.  If you are new in town then go to easy-Mondays where they let in everyone.  So our first attempts to get in on the gay scene were foiled!  But here's to easy-Monday ;D

PROUD! Cabaret!

Proud cabaret!  Located near monument underground station, and a great girls night out!  A good friend of mine owed me a massive favour and bought us both tickets for my first live experience of burlesque and cabaret!  While the tickets were quite expensive at £15 for standing (plus booking fees etc - the 3 course dinner inclusive package was upwards of £50!) we had a good veiw of gorgeous ladies performing a variety of burlesque acts including a bendy gurl who volunteered two men from the audience and whisked them onstage for some flirty fun and my favourite, a lady who was doing some hot hot hot things with fire sticks!  All the while the bartenders were shaking up some delic. cocktails (the apple strudel martini is a total winner) in total, unmatched flair and style (like a professional poker dealer).  This is a night of good-natured fun which doesn't feel seedy but is not for the student budget!!

Most striking features?

One of the most satisfying activities a self-conscious girl can do is to rifle through 'before and after' shots of average ladies who are done up by professional make up artists (as in no cosmetic surgery!) and come out looking like models.  Often their hair has been dyed and they're wearing a different top but when analysing these girls the two most noticeable features, for me, that make or break a girl are: flawless complexion and fantastic eyebrows.  Whilst complexion didn't surprise me (I mean silky smooth skin is always a must) however I was shocked at how lush eyebrows can really make a girl pop.  Sometimes it was a simple matter of reshaping and sometimes the eyebrows had been darkened with powder to make them soft and sensual.  Looks like the area to be investing in!

Abs Blast!

My abs are not made of stone!  There is nothing godlike about them and if this is how much effort it takes to attain them then I can do without!  I'm lying on the floor, sweat dripping off my nose like a waterfall, when in plain sight is miss perfect blond with her perfect hair and he perfect body with fresh face and not a drop of perspiration on her. After collapsing from the plank i looked up and saw my sister looking at me, with the same expression on her streaming face: "How oh how is this worth it?"  Take a tip from her books - after losing 3 kilograms she celebrates with an 'I've lost weight cake'.

My sister's cake

There are many times I feel incompetant with myself.  When you see that fabulously skinny woman doing an hour on the cross trainer when you've done ten minutes on the treadmill and you're bright red and sweating is one that i invision quite vividly, however my sister (as sisters do so well) is able to outshine me quite profoundly when it comes to baking.  Even the simplest instant mousse recipe easily overcame my competence: one sachet you mix with milk, the other with water.  You'd think it would be hard to get it wrong, right?  But beside the point, any prospects of being a model have been quite firmly bodyslammed to hte ground with the fluffy raspberry and vanilla cake she produced.  Alas, all i could do in return was appreciate her heavenly masterpiece was to devour it, like a rabid dog.  Foaming at the mouth.

The Lyceum Tavern

Today I picked up the keys to the new flat and celebrated our long-awaited success in house hunting with a cheeky pub lunch with a good friend who claims I am the ‘wife he never wanted’ (possibly because I eat his food).
We lunched at a cosy, quirky pub called ‘The Lyceum’ which would be the perfect cubbyhole for friends escaping the biting winter winds.  It is panelled in dark, romantic wood from floor to ceiling with tables cooped up in secretive (but not shady!!) booths with charming bar staff and their own brand of ale and cider and beer; all marked at odd prices (e.g £2.63).  Well worth a quick visit and makes for an unusual start to a pub crawl.