3.149

Words cannot describe the magic of this film. Go and watch it.

 

 

Break

 

My bad for not doing a Christmas post, I just couldn't gather the strength to start taking photos of ma presents, I'm pretty sure you'll get to see them soon. However I did go out on Boxing Day to town for a little fresh air and picked up a couple of things (most of them being DVDs) one was The Breakfast Club, a classic 80s film which I have been meaning to watch for ages!

 

Although by first glance I wasn't too enamoured by it, having time to think about it made me like it even more, and I realise that I do actually love 80s films, especially ones with 'The Brat Pack' in them. Pretty in Pink is a favourite of mine, and now The Breakfast Club is growing on me rapidly!

 

It also explains to me the moment in Easy A when she says "I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me." which I am also well thrilled about!

 

 

So if you're looking for something to pass the time during your two week (well more like one week now) holiday, then I insist you delve into the realms of 80s flicks as they are pretty rad. 

 

It's funny because I dance like this...



 

So who wants to watch The Breakfast Club now?

I thought so.

Jesus was Born

 

A nice little Christmas wish from yours truely in her lovely charity shop Christmas jumper and (new) Benefit lippy. Oh Cheeky! I hope you all got what you wanted and much more too. I was tres tres spoilt this year, especially my stocking, which formed into a sack due to the amount of gifts! I shall enlighten you all tomorrow about my fandango!

 

It wasd also pretty sweet as we had beef-wellington to eat, which I have never had before, so yummeh! Just watching the snowman and the snowdog right now which is utterly and butterly cuuute.



It's Personal

 

 

I've been feeling quite sentimental recently, mainly through reading cards, letters and looking through my secondary-school yearbook. It all just strips back my axieties and allows me to think about other important moments in my life aside from school. My friends are top notch, and the cards they make and write me are quality. I seriously can't believe the effort they go into sometimes to make me smile, and it leaves me feeling all warm inside. Almost all of my cards are pinned up on my wall and pinboard, as they are just too nice to store away.

 

A card I read recently left a huge mark on me,(it was a nice mark), and made me think of the person who wrote it fondly. I did really like spending time with that person, and when reading it I remember that day so clearly. Like I said before, the card seemed to strip away all of the horrible eccentricities I had endured with them and suddenly left this raw emotion inside of me, a very sad, nostalgic emotion, and has made me want to re-live the past a little. This is why I love cards, and I am always greatful to recieve them, mainly because you can see an individual's personality within the depths of the card.

 

So since it is almost Christmas and a time for giving, I recommend you make your own cards for next year, if you haven't already this year, and make sure the people who recieve them smile when they see your masterpieces. Now THAT is the spirit of Christmas.... Or something like that.

 

 

Slow Friday

Just a breezie post with a dash'a Deep, love it. Definately going to see them live again in the New Year, Fo'sho!

 

 

Diamond in the Sky

 

Literally one of my favourite songs at the moment. When I first heard it I was a little ambiguous to whether or not I enjoyed it, however I was definately captivated by its retro sound which slightly reminded me of  80's music, or what I think I can call 80's music... I can't wait to buy their album as it is so fresh and relaxed sounding. Also the men in this music video are beautiful, and I've found a new love for green eyes, they are amazing!

 

Seriously.

 

 

 



Look at Me

 

 

Just preparing my art with some cray cray hair... I am tres excited for our mock exam tomorrow, it's going to be one lush day just drawing and listening to music. Although I may need to get to school kind of early for a comfy spot.

 

Also the opening night of our school play is tomorrow. It's safe to say I am slightly jittery about it as it's the first school play I have ever done (aside from primary where everyone HAD to participate), which explains the ultra back-combed and volumous appearence as I was just experimentin' with a couple of styles...

 

 

 

 



We'll Figure it Out // Stay Young

Over the past couple of days I have been feeling this constant nostalgia as I returned back to my tween TV years. A time when everything was more innocent, even the programmes. Who can remember That's so Raven, Fillmore!, Recess and lets not forget Lizzie Mcguire. One of my all time favourite programmes was Lizzie Mcguire, I watched after school, on the weekends and whenever I was sick. If it was on, I was watching. I'm pretty sure now that I'm rewatching both series that I have seen every episode atleast ten times. I can remember them so clearly.

I also love a lot of the clothes they wear! I don't understand how they weren't the cool kids?! Clashing tie-dye with paisly print, wearing scrunchies, hair pins and crimping their locks! It's all just too rad, especially Lizzie's unicorn jumper in the 'photo day' episode. I know it's meant to be the most hated garment on this planet, but I seriously think I would wear it... It has a googly eye, how much more 'awesome' could you get?

I am also a massive fan of 'The Lizzie Mcguire Movie', I know it was just completely far fetched, but the fact is Lizzie's 'the bomb' and you all know it. I remember my friend and I laughing at  - "15, 16... And who are you?" "Paulo Valisari" "... put your money in your front pockets." - Now I have no idea why this particular moment in the whole movie cracked us up, but apparently we found it so halarious that we still quote it now... "ME NO KNOW" (does anyone remember where that's from?)

Anyway I wanted all of you to reminisce with me and go onto youtube to watch a couple of your favourite episodes. Disney was so good back then... What's happened?

 

Even now that moment gives me butterflies

THAT jumper...

Now this is truely a beautiful site, don't you think Eddie?

Apparently Aaron Carter is real?

Even her mini-me was rockin' those threads!

 

 

And who could forget that catchin' theme tune:

 

 

 

Under The Influence

Saturday was a rad night as me chum Rosie had a birthday bash which had the theme of fancy dress. I wasn't expecting people to go all out, and to be honest I hadn't had my costume planned until the very last minute. However when I burst into the living room that very night my eyes were met with a creepy man, a red indian, a Hobbit, a Drumstick, The Mad Hatter and an Ikea Pencil boy (That one is a little hard to explain...). It was a gloriously fun evening and I must say she throws some really groovy parties!

Being a tiny bit of a game fanatic and trying to come up with something funny, yet ah-mazing, I decided to go as Mario which was tres successful! I made a felt beard and 'M', wore some dungerees, jazzed it up with a bobble hat and painted on some eyebrows and bam, It was'a me Mario! I also found a little 'One-up' keyring in my cupboard, so he was my sidekick for the evening. Anyway I thought I'd show you some hilar snaps from the night:

I think it worked out quite well, and Rosie was a pirate

Leo was a 'physco kid' and Hannah a bunny

Jamie was actually a nerd, however we found my fox mask and had a little play with it, Maddie was an eighties person, pretty darn good.

Isaac was a Creepy Man

Hattie the Hatter

Best picture of the month...

Meghan's Hobbit feet

 

Then Louis and Hannah swapped costumes for a bit.

 

I had a real laugh with everyone and I must say that my chums are quite ridiculous. Third dressing up party this year! Oh my Christ!

 

 



Happy Birthday Panda Face

Insanity! It's been two years since I opened up my blog and I am still very happy that I have decided to put myself out on the internet. I never really know what to do with these posts, so if there is anything you want me to do next year or for Christmas or whenever then I would actaully love suggestions. Otherwise I'll just have to have a little babble! I wanted to say thank you to those who do read Panda. I know I don't have the most exciting and conventional blog going, but I enjoy writing it and as long as you enjoy reading it I suppose that really is all that matters, as I have nothing else I can repay you with.

I have no idea how long I'll have Panda running, as, really, it is just a documentation of all the boring events and objects which my life revolves around, and for some reason I felt it necessary to tell the internet... I suppose I don't have any other social networking sites which I belong to, so if I have something I feel like sharing I rely on Panda here to project it all.  I do really love blogging and I've found so many inspirational people on this site who I would not have had the pleasure of encountering without my blog.

It was a very terrifying/big moment for me to open up my blog, I remember the night when I first went on the site, how strange I felt and it was a sort of revelation for me as I have never comitted to many things before, and so having a blog was a big step up. I do feel like I have grown immensely through the two years I've had Panda, I'm not sure how you all feel about it. However I know I've changed a lot and I don't know if I should move on from Panda. I know I wont, it's just that idea that maybe I should start a new blog for the new chapters of my life, however if I did that I would have to open a blog everytime something new happened, such as going into sixth form, going into art foundation, university, jobs etc... So I don't think there would be much point.

Anyway, I want to thank you all for reading what I have to say, sticking around, and making this project all the more groovy!

In conclusion, you have made me a happy bunny

 

 



Glitter Freeze

Models Own Disco Heaven

I finally built up the courage to buy another Models Own nail polish, and yes I finally got 'Disco Heaven', which shall be my season statement nail! As it is so sparkely and reminds me of parties, and i like parties. I absolutely love how this nail polish catches the light and really twinkles when it does, there are also cheeky little blue specs in it giving it that extra flare and make your nails even more dazzling with a colder hue. Although my nails feel a little rough cause of the natural texture of the nail polish I know this can easily be fixed with a little bit of clear polish. I have also applied this as an over coat to other coloured nail polishes, such as black and indian ocean, and I must say it suits every single one! It is such an easy polish to use and I just love it! There is the slight problem with having to apply multiple coats to get the full effect, however that's usually the case with all nail polishes. So girls (and boys) if you want a new polish for the season, I recommend Disco Heaven, as everyone loves sparkles, and whoever says they don't is lying.

Also I am starting to get into the groovy tunes of Purity Ring finding them a wonderful love child of Crystal Castles and Grimes, have a tune-in:

 



I Will Hurt You

Woop. I have bought myself the Crystal Castles (III) vinyl and I must say that vinyl is so much better than digital, sound wise. Even the highest pitches in the songs achieved levels that computers could not even match. I have listened to the LP around two or three times in about four hours! It's been great company to the beginning of my four day weekend. My absolute favourite song on the entire LP, and at the moment ever for the Crystal Castles, is 'Child I Will Hurt You', I seriously felt so emotional listening to it. The lullaby sound is an amazing juxtapose to the dark lyrics:

Keep them locked away
Reduce them to strays
Clean their cuts and scrapes

Mercy we abstain
Hope you’re entertained
Snow covers the stain

Forray forever

Taught them with solace
They know a soft caress
To lower your defense

Hide all that you could
Done for the greater good
It’s later understood

Forray forever
 

Not only that, but it was also one of the few songs on this LP which was not remixed, giving it a slightly raw form. Listen to the song and get a feel of what I experienced when listening to it:

 

Child I Will Hurt You - Crystal Castles

 

 



(III)

Crystal Castles (III) - Crystal Castles



Holy shit! New Crystal Castles album has been released and what a beauty! I haven't bought it yet, but I am sure going to! And definately the vinyl after Christmas, or before depending on financial situations. I have a preview of it on Itunes and I began getting really emotional listening to the songs, as they are not the usual head-fuck-crazy-strobe tunes which featured on Crystal Castles (II) however you do get the occasional head bangin' track on there. Their new album had a “strictly no computers” rule in the studio and they began recording everything directly to tape, which I think it incred and has created really raw pieces.

What spurred off this emotional reaction was not only the beautiful songs, but also the album artwork which is a picture done by photographer Samuel Aranda showing a woman, Fatima al-Qaws, holding her son, Zayed, after he was exposed to tear gas in an anti-Government protest, and makes me really empathise with the photo and CC's use of it.

"Oppression is a theme, in general… A lot of bad things have happened to people close to me since II and it's profoundly influenced my writing as I've realized there will never be justice for them. I didn't think I could lose faith in humanity any more than I already had, but after witnessing some things, it feels like the world is a dystopia where victims don't get justice and corruption prevails.” - Alice Glass

So I am very excited to own their amazing music and I literally am bursting at the seams from all of their insaaaane tracks.

 

Kerosene - Crystal Castles

Pale Flesh - Crystal Castles

 

Black

Review Link from SoGlos

On Thursday I went to go and see The Woman in Black at the Everyman theatre in Cheltenham, and usually I hate horror, however I thought that if I could see the actors I would be able to survive.

I was thoroughly impressed that the cast consisted of only two men, and of course the 'Vision', as their use of multi roling and costume change really helped establish the performance. The opening of the play was fantastic, as it was hardly noticable with the crowd talking amongst themselves and then suddenly a elder man shuffling in, almost unnoticed. It also really made me chuckle as it unveiled this nervous slow-speaking character, who had an irritating habit of constantly licking his lips. As he began his tale of woe with a high-pitched and streotypical voice a burst of energy came from the right as a younger man ran onwards. The young man was revealed to be an actor and encouraged this elder to speak his tale with confidence and clarity, after about five tries, and each one recieving a multitude of laughs from the audience, we settled into the frighting tale of the woman in black.

The first appearence of the vision did scare me, as a certain energy emitted from her as she slowly glided down the right isle, solomnly and silently making her presence eerie. My friends who were sitting on the front row said her face was awful, white and dark, a real juxtapose of looks. She then constantly made the audience terrified with her irregular appearences during the first acr, all of which I did not scream, just reel back in horror at the sight of this gloomy, white, wasted face. That was until a moment when all the lights went out and Kipps searched the stage with his tourch light, only to look up and be greeted with her looming figure, staring right at him making him scream, and me scream. It was awful!

Another moment which was definately a spine chiller was a scene with a chair. As Kipps slept (from what I can remember) a slight knocking/rocking noise came from, what could only be noted as, upstairs, repeating itself insistently and making the whole audience weep with fear of what it could be. After a suspensial minute of Kipps walking up the stairs it turned out to be just a rocking chair, swinging on its own, in a child's nursery. However this moment was a lot more frightening with the tech crew highlighting the door in red and making the whole room silent apart from this constant rocking.

The only downer was the vision, because during the second act her appearences became alot more frequent and her time on stage longer, leaving the audience with an unsure reaction and resulted in a quick yelp then silence... Very unsuspencial. However this cannot be faulted, as the crew can't help the way the story pans out. Other than that, the entire production was incredibly tense and I literally felt like I was going to run out the door any second, if not for the paranoia that the Woman in Black would be standing there ready to get me.

The set was very cleverly divised, as the stage isn't huge, and the crew made a good use of the space with a gauze curtain upstage which revealed a child's nursery behind when the lights shined in the back, it also revealed a staircase which made the audience squeal when they saw the vision walking up them. Downstage housed multiple scenes with limited props, making the production a lot more efficient. I honestly wasn't sure how they would achieve a successful performance when I saw the downstage scenery, however I was thoroughtly impressed once revealed to their clever and adaptable set design.

There is so much I could go into detail about, however I think I shall leave it at that, as I don't want to ruin the atmoshphere of such a wonderfully adapted play. I hope the rest of you go and see it in a theatre near you when it's on, as it's really worth seeing. However with the last line being 'I didn't see a woman in black.' even you shall begin to doubt her existence...

Extreme LDN

Last Friday I had an all day trip with Textiles down to London whic was fab! We first went to the V&A where we looked at all the ballgowns and fashion through the ages. I loved the ballgowns, I sincerely did. Most of them were all so beautiful and I swear i could've stolen some. Unfortunately you weren't allowed to take photos, however I bought some postcards with a selection of gowns on them, so I'm pretty pleased that I have them (even though they did cost £7.50, seriously V&A why?).

 

I also got some beautiful ceramic buttons from the shop in the V&A for £1.50 each, which again is tres expensive, however I just thought they were such a unique bunch. I chose five which I am planning on sewing onto something when I have a bigger collection of buttons, so watch out for that when I come around to it, if I ever do!

 

 



After the V&A and lunch we took the tube over to Baker Street (I swear some people on the tube seriously don't realise people are watching them...) were we went VV Rouleaux which is the most amazing (and expensive) ribbon shop in Britain, I seriously wanted to marry the shop I was screaming so much at their amazing cupcake tassel pin cushions and thier HUGE multi-tassel tassels! I ended up buying some gorgeous lace/crochet for my project:

 

 

Black and copper corchet/lace £1.35 p/m - VV Rouleaux

 

I then saw this small cabinet downstairs which had an array of little bits and pieces which I gooed over for a little bit. That was until I came across the absolute most adorable brooch ever! It is, yes you guessed it, a hand crocheted cardigan! I actually almost cried when I saw it as it's so tiny and cute! Also the arms are actually functional, so if a tiny person comes along I can clothe them. Perfect! It was pretty steep though at £5.95... However it was the only cream one left, so I had to buy it:

 

 

I swear this shop was a vicious cycle, 'cause as I went to pay and I looked underneath the desk and saw a huge crate of what appeared to be felt toadstools, so I sifted through there and got this sweet little red one for £2.95, which now proudly sits on my bureau. I was cotemplating buying two, however I thought having one was a little more special! Plus I would've only wanted another if it was smaller than the red one...



 

So that was my spending spree in VV, the last place we went to was Liberty's on/round the corner to Oxford Street. Seriously, I shall own a Liberty's shirt when I am older, their fabric is actually beautiful and their shirts are just divine! I also warmed to the fact that the shop assistents were knitting whilst on the till.  I didn't go insane there, however I did buy something which you'll think is ridiculous of me. I bought a Rob Ryan designed card, and the only reason I got one was because I find his work very intricate and personal, so passing up on an oppertunity like so was silly. However the price was fucking ridic! £3.50...

 

 

I know, rate adorable! So that was my London adventure, and I cannot wait to create my V&A page in my sketchbook. I spend almost £30, if not over, however I did buy some Christmas presents whilst I was at it, so I feel a bit better about everything. I hope you all had good Fridays.

 

 





032//zine

I am one happy bunny as Olive have finally stocked up on the new Apartamento. I hjave seriously been waiting for about eight or nine months for the new one and finally it has arrived. Although I have not read it yet I have flicked through the pages and boy does it look fab, so I can't wait to settle down one eveing and have a nice read. The contents looks pretty snazz:

Apartamento £12

 

My boss also recommended me a new magazine by the same company, Comag, called 032c which is a more cultural mag and it looks so wonderful. The pages are glossy and really good quality and the actual zine is so thick. I'm going to have to have another seperate evening or week to read through it which I can't wait for! Have a flick for yourself:

 

032c £12

So I'm going to have a very culturally enriching fortnight which I am looking forward to. I have also been getting back into the music of Wild Nothing since discovering their new album Nocturne (sorry if spelt incorrectly). So I can't wait to buy the vinyl of that soon, depending if I have any money left soon. This crimbo thing is running me dry!