For the love of... Frankie

*Disclaimer. I am no Girl With a Satchel. I lack her eloquence, magazine experience, informed opinions and fancy shmancy blog layout! If you want a decent magazine review I suggest checking out her blog!

Frankie Magazine. For a year now I have been a loyal fan. This time last year I was a patient in hospital and was fortunate enough to have plenty of visitors. Even in that grim time I knew I was lucky enough to be blessed with so many caring friends and family members. One of my best friends brought in a stack of magazines during one such visit. They were current magazines but her flatmate had finished them and thought I might enjoy them (I think my friend is probably reading this with a thrill of excitement knowing that I'm talking about her and that something she did a year ago has inspired an entire blog post! Hi Erin!). Amongst those magazines was Frankie. Ahhh, Frankie. Clever, witty, sometimes sarcastic, always lovely, forever funny. Magazines pride themselves on their point of difference, but Frankie is unique. She's the girl cool enough to hang out with the popular kids, friendly enough that she doesn't intimidate the less cool kids and smart enough to know the difference. I'd never even considered reading Frankie before it was literally dropped into my lap; it seemed a little too "indie" for me. Sweet sweet fortune that somebody with far better taste than I had the inkling I might enjoy it.

The latest issue is a joy to read. Benjamin Law and Caro Cooper are favourites of mine. Benjamin writes with self-effacing humour, Caro writes as though narrative can't help but flow out of every pore. Highlights:

• Kelly White's i love owls feature. Mainly because I also love owls and she's got some cuties!
• Caro Cooper's may contain graphic scenes is a love letter to the graphic novel. Five in particular are highlighted as 'should'-reads ('If you want to. But you don't have to.') I want to. (In case you're interested the are Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine, Good-bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson, I am going to be small by Jeffery Brown, Maus by Art Spiegelman and Jimmy Corrigan: The smartest kid on Earth by Chris Ware.
• a mum's life contains some wonderful moments when four writers spend the day as their mother. There seems to be quite a focus on exercise, work-outs and personal trainers. Perhaps this is what we look forward to in retirement. Benjamin Law's description of his mother, Jenny's, Exercise of the Month is particularly entertaining, as is Caro Cooper's journey into an imaginary world where she flirts with an unresponsive butcher, has conversations with imaginary dogs and cooks dinner for an imaginary partner whilst conversing with aforementioned dogs.
• I encourage all of my PhD student friends, and friends of friends, and anybody even considering undertaking a PhD at any point, to read how uni melted my brain. Benjamin Law highlights everything I've ever heard, or ever considered about this arduous pursuit (it still hasn't put me off though).
• There's a fabulous road test of different varieties of packet noodles and how likely each are to kill you. My favourite noodles are apparently likely to cause me a slow, but sure, death. This feature appears at an opportune time. They're practically all I can afford to buy.
• I laughed and felt a small twinge of shame at Justin Heazlewood's no cd collection is an island. I can definitely relate to both sides of the story, but hope I have never been to the point of being the friend who asks if you've "heard of The Obscures, (my) eyes burning with rage and glee when (you) decline." The article is summed up in the line "It's a testament to the human ego, the way we make our role as fan completely about us."
• Bless Pip Lincolne for including a pattern for a too-cute wheat pack by Claire Robertson.

New issue is out on April 22nd so go out and get a copy of this one now!

Love and Laughter,

Mands xoxo

Monday Musing

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it. bearing with him the image of a cathedral.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Introducing Polyvore Thursday!

In answer to my previous post, I shall create inspiration for myself and for others, using my own creativity and the tools which the internet provides me with! Hooray. I've found myself addicted to Polyvore and so each Thursday will feature a polyvore set that I particularly like as well as 1 or 2 of my own that I've created using one of that week's top products. Feel free to leave me suggestions on what sort of sets you'd like to see whether they be fashion, interior or art based. Also, sign up to create your own. It's highly addictive. This week I was inspired by the amount of quality interior design sets and so have chosen one to represent all those I really loved. I can't possibly blog every set I like but if you'd like to see more of where this came from add me as a contact on polyvore and, of course, keep reading!

living by mikimouse on Polyvore.com

Just looking at that makes me think of weekends in the country, road trips with friends, wine and snacks whilst playing board games.

And here are a couple of mine. T-shirt focus this week as I adore t-shirts and I don't think that the jeans and t-shirt combo has to be boring. I really love the cupcake tee, the cheerful yellow really lends itself to cuteness, don't you agree?

I Love My Cupcake Tee by Moohanda featuring Pieces necklaces

I love the black, white and red style of this. Though I'm very much a pastels girl, I always think that it's very very very difficult to go wrong with this trinity and a little bit of attitude. The girl with the red lipstick is always going to attract a few (mostly admiring) glances.

We'll always have (my teenage dream of) Paris by Moohanda featuring Coach bags

What do you guys think? Anybody else addicted to Polyvore?

Love and Laughter

Mands xx

Do I require inspiration? Or should it come from within?

The title says it all, really. Well, I think it does. Here I am, sitting in the library, thinking I should be reading the Oresteia trilogy, but feeling that there is something stirring inside of me that I'm not sure I can stop. It's not as though I lack a creative or inspirational gene. I love to create. Lately though, I've felt like there is something missing. That I need outside influences to fulfill me from within...and... is that right? I know that you can't JUST be inspired from within. External factors ALWAYS count. The amazing book you read, the sunset that makes you feel alive, a glimpse of something you almost catch and then it's gone before you absorb it. The friend who shares something secret with you, the taste of the most magnificent meal you've eaten, the discovery of something that fits with you. Falling in love. Having your heart broken. Breaking a heart. Getting married. Having a child. Making new friends. Traveling. Embarking on a spiritual journey. Meeting a soulmate. Perfect weather. Random, spontaneous moments that are gone in a flash but leave a distinct imprint on your heart. These are the external factors that generate creativity. These are the moments in which you gain your inspiration. But do I keep looking for inspiration? Or does it strike when you least expect it? I'm waiting for a spark, a moment, in which I can create something worthwhile. Is it in me? Or is it ruled by something outside? Or is it all connected? Do I just start something and see where it takes me? Or, do I wait? This is hard...

There is poetry, there is prose, there is gardening, there is music, there is acting, there is dancing, there is painting, there is drawing, there is sculpting, there is photography, there is imagination, there is everything in between and beyond and lately I can't seem to get a handle on any of it...

Let's balance out the negative...

...with some shiny, shiny happiness! Lest readers believe that I am a cynical, angry, disillusioned product of a society that has no regard for kindness, helpfulness or tolerance, I'm providing you with things that bring a smile to my face. What brings a smile to yours?

• Last-minute plans with friends.
• Planning holidays...and going on them.
• Not having to worry that going on a cruise ship might be boring!
• Tiny, tiny little piggies! I'd like one as a pet, please!
• Cute puppies doing very silly things. 1000 Awesome Things is indeed an awesome website, and wonderful to trawl through when you should be doing something else.
• Craft books. Every single one of those is now on my wish list for anybody keeping score.
• Learning random facts about odd topics. Mental Floss magazine is practically nerdling porn, and I encourage all of you to check the site out. Of particular interest to me was this article of the stories behind Dr. Seuss' stories.
• Dallas Clayton for this. And this. Poetic genius.
• Talk about inspiring... check this out! So stunning, so effective! And what a wonderful way to to keep mementos of different occasions. You can adapt these to your own tastes and needs, but they look so wonderful. I intend to make some of my own... I think I have found a use for my myriad scrapbooking paper! Elise Blaha's blog is full of incredible beauty and crafty inspiration and bookmark it. NOW! Go on, do it! It's one of my new favourite sites (thanks google reader!)

Now, if anybody has anything they believe I should see please please let me know. I'm back at uni now and am looking for new ways to procrastinate! There's only so much Ancient Greek a girl can take!

Love and Laughter

Mands xox

Can I rant? I'm going to...

... look, I am an optimist most of the time. You need a silver lining? I'll be the one who finds it; at the very least I'll help you look. But sometimes, sometimes, things just completely baffle me. When I am baffled I get annoyed. When I get annoyed, I RANT. A list of things that are baffling/annoying me at the moment, in no particular order...

- Customers. I could just stop there and everyone who has ever worked in retail would understand or agree, but that would be unfair, as sometimes I have wonderful customers. Some drive me almost to breaking point though. For example, the customer who asks you for help. You give them help. They question your help. You answer their questions. They question your answers. You paraphrase their original needs, reiterating the ways that the suggested product will help them. They ask about a product that is completely unsuitable for their needs. You explain why it is unsuitable. They look at you as though you are the one who is being difficult. You give up. They say they will "just look around for a while". You stand there and think "Why, for the love of God, WHY did you ask for my help and advice if all you wanted to do was ignore my suggestions and purchase a product that will disappoint you?!"

- Political Correctness OVERLOAD. I can't take it anymore. These PC Police have too much time on their hands, if they can consider all the ways in which children will be harmed by the same things that many of us grew up with. It did not cause me any harm. I've always been an avid reader. Among the first books I read were Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree series. I'd just like to note some of the changes made to these books since I read them as a child. Dame Slap is now Dame Snap. Corporal punishment is no longer relevant, so Dame Snap now yells at her students instead. Awesome. I'm actually not sure how that is much better, but you're certainly not going to hear me complain about that lest I find that Dame Snap has become Dame Sunshine-and-freaking-light and instead of yelling at her naughty students, she praises them for expressing themselves. Jo has become Joe because Joe is a boy and the J-O spelling was too feminine.  Bessie is now Beth.....because Bessie is a name rarely used now (oh, because I can totally remember the last time I climbed a magical tree inhabited by mythical creatures, can't you?!) Ridiculous. And poor old Dick and Fanny. Rick and Frannie. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why. What about the poor old Dick's and Fanny's of the real world who are being told their names are inappropriate? It is offensive to me, to think that people could be so serious about this that a piece of classic literature can be tampered with in this way. Ms. Blyton would be turning in her grave. JUST GIVE ME MY DICK AND MY FANNY!

- On that note, parents blaming everyone and everything they can in order to not take responsibility for their own children. Something that really grinds my gears is that teachers are supposed to educate children and help with academic endeavours, yet a lot of the time is taken up by children who have not learnt basic etiquette or social skills at home and have no idea what is, or isn't, appropraite. Teachers should not be expected to run deportment classes on top of the (considerable) workload they already have. It's not good enough. Parents should be parenting. Not blaming.

There are so many more. I think I'll leave it there though, I don't want anybody to think I'm a bitter and twisted cynic. Perhaps next time I'll write about the things that make me happy!

Love and laughter (and slight grunts of annoyance)

Mands xoxo

Proust's Questionnaire

If any of you read Vanity Fair magazine, you might know that they interview a famous person and call it the Proust Questionnaire. It was a parlor game that Marcel Proust played in his youth (no, he did not actually invent the game). His answers were recorded once when he was 13 and once when he was 20. I've decided to play the parlor game as well....here are my answers...

• • What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
    
    Clinical depression and being confined to a hospital because of it.
  • Where would you like to live?
    
    Wherever I feel I could make a home that doesn't stifle my creativity and freedom.
  • What is your idea of earthly happiness?
    
    To live in a house with a library and my family and close friends nearby.
  • Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
    
    Atticus Finch, Aragorn, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black
  • Who are your favorite characters in history?
    
    Socrates, Oscar Wilde, Homer, Chaucer, Shakespeare
  • Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
    
    Maya Angelou
  • Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
    
    Arwen, Eowen, Jo March, Calamity Jane, Holly Golightly
  • Your favorite musician?
    
    Ben Harper
  • The quality you most admire in a man?
    
    Intelligence, wit, honour
  • The quality you most admire in a woman?
    
    a good sense of humour
  • Your favorite virtue?
    
    Courage
  • Your favorite occupation?
    
    Reading and writing
  • Who would you have liked to be?

  Myself, this time a year ago..... with the knowledge I have now....the world would be a fairer place for it.

  • Your most marked characteristic?
    
    My passion and determination; I've been called relentless by a friend before.
  • What do you most value in your friends?
    
    Intelligence, honesty, open-mindedness and courage
  • What is your principle defect?
    
    Extreme self-righteousness, over-the-top perfectionism.
  • What is your favorite color?
    
    Blue, purple, yellow, pale green, pink, silver
  • What is your favorite flower?
    
    White and pink roses, lilies
  • What is your favorite bird?
    
    Owls
  • Who are your favoite poets?
    
    Wow.....that's hard.... Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Kahlil Gibran, Pablo Neruda, William Blake, Robert Frost.....this could go on for a while...
  • Who are your favorite composers?
    
    Beethoven, Tchaiovsky, Mozart
  • What are your favorite names?
    Honor, Dante
  • What is it you most dislike?
    
    Xenophobia
  • What natural gift would you most like to possess?
    
    Wit to rival Oscar Wilde's
  • How would you like to die?
    
    Peacefully, after I've lived a long life with many achievements and had all my dreams realised.
  • What is your motto?
    
    Nothing is perfect, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.