Hahahahahahaahaaaaa

I just saw Brian in Tescos...Some one needs to tell him to get a hair cut. He looks pathetic.  Well he is pathetic. But he could at least stop deluding himself that long hair looks good on him.

hahahahhahahahahahaahaaaaa. Sometimes I love my life! I am such a bitch... but he really does make me laugh, I rang Span when I got back and we just giggled for like five minutes solid!

Speaking of Span, we had a picnic on the field today, it was lovely, we chatted about stuff and it was nice.

I was thinking the other night about friendships and stuff. I mean uni has been this huge rollercoaster of meeting people and stuff and I miss some people hugely cos they aren't here anymore but it got me thinking about the idea of having a "best friend".

I've never had one. I have so many people who I love like air, but I'm a selfish little thing sometimes and sometimes it comes back and hurts me. 
Pilch, Tash, Begal, Gem and Serina are still some of my dearest friends, it doesn't matter how pretentious and jumped up I become they will always remember me for the time I got yelled at by Miss Haddock for making daisy-chains when I was supposed to be fielding in rounders, or when I cried in the school production of Yanomamo because "all the trees DIE..sniffle...sob", or when we were coming back from a concert in London and sang all the Spice Girls songs word-perfect, on the train home. Until Mrs Pink told us to shut up. And tehy reember and love me anyway. I met up with Pilch, Tash and Gem over the holidays, Tash and I got into a very vocal discussion about Being Human or something and Pilch was just like, " humm do we have double Chem. next or something?" This was hysterical at the time, but then I ahd been on the rum.

Another incredibly dear group of friends has been the people I've met through my choir. I love them all, and even if they've left and I haven't seen them in YEARS I still love them. We bonded over Beneden buns and music. Its a thing. I think it makes me an appalling friend, I can not talk to people for ages, not for any malicous reason but because I just haven't. It doesn't stop me loving them.

Martin I'd still call one of the best riends I've ever made. I miss chatting about everything under the sun with him. (Oh and if you  read this, How are you?, Like I said rubbish at keeping in contact...). In fact I miss everyone from re-enactment, but its annoyingly moved its time...

I've made some great friends this year, like James who shares my love of tea and chamber music, and Lucy, Julia, Izzy, Katie at Choir and Susan on my floor.

Damnit I could go on for ever, my point is this, can we ever have only one "best friend" ? Surely we have many people we care abouut, and the number only goes up as we get older.

Any way,

peace, love and person-hood!

location: bed mood: pensive music: Kiss the Girl -Little Mermaid tags: life the universe and everything, people who rock, people who suck, rum

So, I finally completed and bound my dissertation last night. which was something of a mission complete with finding out I'd printed the wrong cover sheet, and freaking out slightly.

Then for some bizarre reason my brain came up with this.

 

( Random, fic-let. )

location: bed mood: awake music: creedence clearwater revival tags: dissertation, what the hell brain?

http://steampunkworkshop.com/daveveloz.shtml

I want in a BIG way...

Now, as I sure many other women will agree, these two articles of clothing automatically make a guy look better.

I went to the History Society Formal last night and, well first isn't it amazing how people scrub up so well when you're used to seeing them in jeans and hoodies? All the ladies looked lovely. I FINALLY got to wear the dress Laura bought me. It looked AWESOME!! I wore it with red tights, a red hair ribbon and red choaker. Looked GREAT.  One girl had the most beautiful poofy silvery dress. Compleatly 1950's debutante. Although I think (name removed in case she reads this...) might have lost weight since she bought  her dress. It was a little ill fitting in the bust.

Anyway. The guys, as I have said before on fairly numerous occasions, a well fitting suit will make any guy look good. This remains true. It is impossible not to look dapper in a good suit. That is why they were invented.

BUT on the subject of neckties, I cannot stand those ones with a little hook and a bow. The only thing they are good for is wearing in my hair. If you want a tie have a proper one. Plus it always looks slick when you untie it at the end of the night. Oh and braces. Black braces and a proper necktie should be obligatory parts of all mens wardrobes.

And kilts. I do have a soft spot for kilts. I think it stems from watching Monarch of the Glen and thinking that anyone who is happy running over the scottish mountains wearing a leather jacket and what amounts to a blanket MUST be awesome. Something about scottish evening dress will always look amazing. All that this amounts to is that I really like kilts on guys. we sould make it compulsory. For like one day a week.

Now I crave Monarch....Damnit.

location: bed mood: geeky music: Les Chorists tags: clothes

I was just taking notes  - I WAS I PROMISE!!!!!- and a song came on that made me pause, its Mi Morena by Josh Groban. I was hit by a memory so vivid it was practically tangible. I remember last year, walking through the cobbled old Town in Tours, watching the rain glisten and shine, passing the cathedral lit in the night all blue-green and glorious, and the opera house and the Loire, rushing away beneath the bridge, all inky-black under me. And I remember Place Plumereau, shining, in the streetlight. And I remember over towards the botanical gardens, a little church and the square that used to be a monastery behind it. and l'hotel de ville and Boulevard Beranger under the trees in moonlight and rain.

I should mention its not as random as it might seem, the song is about rain. And so I though about rain....

I walked a lot in the evening in France. It cleared my head and let me see the city at her best. I always took my music and it was glorious. A truly happy year, in a truly beautiful place. I know it waits for me. I shan't forget it.

location: room 403, Tours, France, in my soul mood: contemplative music: Josh Groban - You Are Loved

Well I didn't manage to get to choir this weekend, bloody cold has me coughing myself hoarse each night. On the other hand I have been helping decorate the house for the coming festivities.

That is what I wish to discuss. As some people who have been to my house might remember it is sort of late victorian-early edwardian, and as we all know the Victorians invented Christmas. And we kind of go all out with the Victoriana thing this time of year. Its all geese and garlands. I have spent most of this morning fighting with red and gold bows and swags, tomorrow mummy will go to the wood near us and bring in a load of ivy and holly for the rest of the house and we'll spend most of tomorrow trying to tie ivy to the staircase. Its fun, theres always music playing and ribbons as far as the eye can see. Laura and I did the tree last night, we have decided on a no-bauble tree this year, but using all the other decorations. Mummy is sorting out the food today as well which means baking!!

Sometimes I think my frount room was designed for Christmas, it always looks so nice. I just hope I kick this cold before the big day!! Daddy, Laura and I went shopping for Mummy yesterday, she wanted a new camera, we also got her one of those digital picture frames and we're going to upload pictures of us onto it. I bought her some new gloves and a hat that I likes in Accesorize. Because she needs pretty things sometimes. She's too practically minded I think.

I still haven't got Daddy anything, he's hopelessly difficult to buy for, I never know what he wants. Laura and I were thinking of an inspiration finding session in the centre on Christmas eve! Laura's Jumper will be done in time, or shortly after....I'm aiming for on time....



Right I need to clear up the mess I made with ribbon and stuff!!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.
xxx

location: the Front Room music: Little Drummer Boy tags: christmas, history, home

I am not a healthy bunny, I had to pull out of my solo on sunday whch I was not happy about, on the other hand I am now at home with Sharpe and books and knitting. And my parents obviously.

I like being looked after by my parents when I'm ill, it makes me feel about 5.

I'm hoping to kick this blasted thing before Friday cos I have choir. AGAIN. I have no life.

I did get to watch Merlin with Daddy which was nice. I am still convinced that Merlin and Arthur make the cutest couple EVER. Daddy loves the Dragon.

so to recap. Ill. At home. Choir. Merlin.

location: sofa at home mood: sick music: theTV, Sharpe's Challenge tags: choir, home, ill, merlin

SO last nightcould have gone better. I am actually coming down with something. My throat hurts, I have a everything-ache and I keep coughing. And I have a solo on Sunday. That I still cannot get right. Its an amazing aria. Well it would be if I wasnt singing it.I'm  downing honey and lemon like theres no tomorrow right now.

Anyway. I felt rough most of lastnight and I had worn silly shoes. I think I was just too tired to erally get inot it, although the band was fun and it was a good night, it justcould have been better.

We leave for Somerset fairley soon and then its showtime. I need to be able to summen up enough energy to get me through to tuesday. I'll be home on Monday and Tuesday I can just not do anyhting and recuperate. Until then I HAVE to keep going.

location: room again mood: crappy music: But who may abide the day of his coming tags: music of awesome-ness, tired, union

Ok, I will start on a nice note. For anyone awake to witness the sunrise this morning it was glorious, all bronze and crimson. If you look outside right this second its still abit lovely. The clouds areslightly tinged pink and the pale early morning blue of the sky  looks ice cold.

I want out last night as anyone on Face bookwill know. I felt very sick last night...

I do not blame the alcohol, I blame the fizzy water they left on the table. Anyway its another thing ticked off my list of things to do. Although I could forego the need to clean my bathroom at 3 in the morning.

It was an awesome night though.

WE all met in Alice's room at about 6. And got dressed together, dancing to the Spice Girls and Hairspray. Katie and Julia did the most amazing rendition of Moulin Rouge for us. So we had cracked open the Baileys at about 6. And the pink champagne. Everyone looked georgeous, I just WANTED half the dresses that girls wore. I'd also like to FIT IN to half the dresses girls wore, but thats another story. I wore my 1950's cocktail dress and red ribbons and lipstick. I think I looked good. The picktures probably look dire, but before the drunkenness I think I looked good.

So yeah manically bopping to loud music was followed by the dinner. I was slightl annoyed by some of the girls, how hard is it to understand that 'Black tie' means cocktail length or longer. And that cocktail length means below the knee?????? Surely its not a hard concept to understand?

APART from that, and thefact tat annoying people in the choir who winged about paying an extra 7 quid meant we didn't have silver service we had a bloody buffet. I sound like such a snob, but its part of your education. Thats why these things happen in uni, so that in the real world you know how to deal with them. I was on a great table, with some of the girls, not all of them unfortunatly, but some, And Adam and David (who spent the entire evening chatting between themselves. We have decided there might be love in the air.But its still not very polite.) I got a 'the oposite of a port fine' for asking for the bottle of wine, and then saying it had to be passed clockwise around the table, even though it was right on my left. Julia got a port fine for 'mentioning Harry Potter at the table' , I issued Adam with one for getting up from the table and randomly wandering round the room. I know he was organising it but still. You should not leave the table until the end. EVER.

It was a slightly moot point in the end as (because of the idiots who made us have a buffet) there was no cheese course and no port. Which from a morning after point of view was probably a good thing.

The caberet afterwards was a little bit of a letdown to be honest, as only one act actually happened. I know the girls barbershop I was trying to organise never happened but still. It was a funny sketch, although I would probably have found most things funny by that stage. Lucy, lovely thing that she is, kept me from falling over and impaleing myself on my heels. Or something. I dont know how that would happen, possibly anatomically impossible. 

THen we headed over to crosslands, Alice lovely lady that she is, got me a gin and  cranberry. Which Katie then took off me. Sensible person. 

WE headed up to Alice's room a bit later on. Where the others wimped out and went home. Something about 9 o'clock lectures. One of Alice's french friends came in and I actually managed to have a whole conversation with her, without seeming wierd or scary. Which I think is an achievement.
Lucy,Ben and Nic came up and someone though it was a good idea to give me whiskey. And then we had a chat about fencing and music and life the universe and everything. 

THEN cos they are lovely, they all walked me home, although I live 4 minutes away at the other end of campus. 

So the sickness is obviously COMPLEATLY the fault of the bubbly water.

 

location: bed mood: sick music: Every little thing she does is magic - John Barrowmen version tags: alcohol, choir, fun, sick, social life

ALL MY WORK IS DONE!!!

I handed the last essay in at 12 and have NO MORE DEADLINES!!!!

I was kinda impressed wiht my bibliography, although I still dont know how to reference half the stuff, how do you reference an undated or signed peice of embroidery??

After the deadline we had the post-work-handing-in trip to the monkey's which was a laugh, all girls no guys, so lots of fun. Although not as funny as the look on Duncans face last lesson when we were hypothesising over how georgian women delt with thier periods. Apparently they didn't wear drawers until like the end of the 18th century or something and we couldnt work out how they got whatever they wore to stay in place. And then Dr Vickery suggested that perhaps the petticoats would help to soak it up, by which stage the poor chap looked positively green.

I went to a class at the gym today, was soooooo hard work, I mean seriously,  I obvioulsy am so out of shape that I resemble a blob.

BUT TOmorrow I will be a pretty silvery blob! I'm wearing my 1950's cocktail dressa and pretty shoes to the christmas meal. We're having a pre-party in Alice's room, so will probably be wasted before we even get there but its all good.

I'm so hyped about this weekend, I'm off to Somerset with the choir to sing the Messiah and I'm doing a solo!! If I can learn it in time....Mummy and Daddy say they want to comeand see it whihc would be lovely. My voice is going to be screwed for KYC next week though.

I Spent most of the evening freaking out people as Lucy and I bonded over the shiny-ness of Arthur/Merlin. And it is VERY shiny.

I still need to tidy my room.

It is beyond a mess

Any who

Love hugs and rock and roll people!

location: CAMALOT! mood: jubilant music: Schadenfraude - Avenue Q tags: fandom, free!! no work, history, music of awesome-ness, work

So I';m back to Egham and real life....which unfortuanatly ahsn't magically solved itself....I want to be Merlin, life would be, well not easier, but shiny-er.

I hvae deadlines coming out of my ears and its just not fun and I have work and singning and stuff....I cant bloody wait until Christmas life will seem much better when I can wake up in my own bed and just not have to stress. Althugh thats not going to happen as I need to get 2 essays done and my dissretation started over the holidays.

I'm sorry if I seem to be whingning but at the mo life just is getting on top of me. I need a cup of tea and a hug and sympathy.

Love you all

location: comp lab mood: crappy tags: essays, life, tired, work

I'm sitting in my sisters sitting room in Liverpool after an awesome weekend listening to her try and decide on a ring tune for her new phone after she killed the last one. It's been so nice, I have a BEAUTIFUL new dress whihc is my christmas and birthday presant from her combined (My parents have yet to get me a presant....) AND new patent leather shiny shiny SHINY shoes and yeah happy day shopping! And I love her so much!

I spent most of yesterday (read ALL of yesterday) on the sofa listening to music and knitting and stuff and basically did nothing and it was WONDERFUL! we ate ice cream and watched the Sex in the City film and SPICEWORLD (one of the most awesome films EVER MADE) and Thelma and Louise. All in all Twas great! and we went out on Thursday to some places here, I have RAZ on my hand now, tey played proper cheesey music which made me a VERY happy bunny, I did spill my drink a fair bit, waving my arms seemed like a good idea at the time.....

Anywho
love n hugs!

location: Laura-Land mood: happy music: Oh my gosh tags: clothes, going out, shopping, sister

Almost forgot!

I went to the freedom night at medicine with Susan and Oliver, Was AWESOME!!! We danced the night away to amazingly cheesy music and with gin and cranberry juice singing in my veins and the Spice Girls in my ears I danced like a mad thing! lalalalalala life rocks.

I want them to release the choices for next Friday at the Union, MAJORLY want to go OUT and dance like a crazy person!

location: room again mood: giggly music: MAN! I feel like a WOMAN! tags: squeee

I went to the British Library today! If there's anywhere on earth that screams BASTION OF LEARNING thats it. Its just a beautiful place full of quietness and academia. I was reading some wonderful books, one was 'The Accomplish'd Ladies Rich Closet of Rareties', which included advice on Conserving, Pickling, Cooking, Managements of Servants and Much Much More Boys and Girls! It did have a really nice recipie for mince pies and syllabub. And I have discovered I bloody hate serifs. Seriously its bloody hard to read when they keep sticking 'f' in place of 's'.

Quite apart from the wonders of books, there was an Exibition downstairs which you all should go to NOW! It was about the development of parliamntary power and reform in the UK so it was looking at stuff from the Magna Carta through the 19th Century and devolution, the campaign for women's suffrage, and then onto civil rights, liberty of conscience, thought speach, the slave trade and stuff. Which I think is interesting. Its bloody scary how our civil rights are being eroded.
"But its to stop terrorists!!" people yell
No its not. its introducing the mechanics of state terrorism into a country that should be proud of its respect for civil rights. Seriously extending the time you can be held without trial? What the hell? Sorry am I in Britain, the country that produced Paine and Mill and Locke? If you create a climate of fear then you've done the terrorists job for them.
Oh and the DNA database, yes people SAY that the only people who have anything to fear from having thier data on file are those who commit crimes, BOLLOCKS. We all do! The Government has no right to stick it's nose into my blood stream thank you, unless I'm drunk driving, in which case I thich I should be shot on sight for blatant stupidity. It is putting mesures in place that would be scarily easy to abuse. I'm not saying they will be, I'm saying that humanity doesn't have a great track record.

Ok I'll stop ranting at you, you're all smart people, you should be able to see this for yourselves. If you can't you have worse eyesight than me.

location: rooooooom mood: determined music: One Day More tags: behind closed doors, rant, study

I just re-watched V for Vendetta. It is still one of the most amazing films ever. So thanks to the wonderful people who made me watch it all those years ago.  You know who you are.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

location: bed mood: pensive music: 1812 overture tags: films, people who rock

Newcastle for halloween + stupidly long coach journey + Work = sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy...

location: rooooooooooooooooom mood: sleepy music: Libera tags: tired

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

THE EMBROIDERERS GUILD SAY I CAN USE THIER MUSEAM ARCHIVE AND LIBRARY FOR MY DISSERTATION!!!!

repeat SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

AND I'm going up on the 19th and the curator is going to get things out that she thinks I'll find interesting and I get to go to Hampton Court and LIFE ROCKS!!!


I FREAKING LOVE BEING A HISTORIAN!!!!

On a similar note, I went to Chiswick House today. It was Lord Burlington's "I'm really well educated and rich" showing off villa. Its not actually where anyone lived. There are no kitchens or bedrooms or anything. And its cold. Its arguably the purest example of Palladianism in the country but it wsa quite literelly only built for entertaining. The house keeper complained of the damp and how expensive it was to heat. Oddly enough something designed for the hillsides of Tuscany is not necessarily suited to rainy, cold England. Whoa what a revelation! ANYWAY, the family would have lived in a Jacobean house just next to it, but not in the villa itself. Two additional wings were later built onto the villa itself but they were knocked down in the 1950's, in the interim it is more likely that the family lived in the wings of the house, cos the villa part would not be comfortable. It didn't feel like a home.

Tomorrow I go to Ham House, and on Friday to Newcastle!

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

feel the love!
xxxxxxxxxxxx

location: room again mood: jubilant music: You can't stop the Beat - High school musical. Judge me if you dare... tags: behind closed doors, dissertation, work

Ok so this morning I spent reading The Subversive Stitch  a decidedly interesting take on womens embroidery practices and in the afternoon I met up with a class mate and we went to Fenton House in Hamstead. Its a lovely house, initially belonging to a merchant so sort of middling gentry. its got a  fabulous collection of needlework and samplers that we spent ages cooing over! plus many pretty clothes. many MANY pretty clothes...we ended up being asked to leave cos they were shutting...we compleatly wern't paying attention to the time! The lady in charge there though was very helpful and said that if I called ahead I would be allowed to come in the off-season as well!

Now I'm tired and my feet hurt

Feel the love people!

location: rooooooom mood: content music: A Little Night Music tags: history, pretty houses, sewing

am very bored.....
doing a course on e journals..... very very dull

ok then,

on Friday I went to Osterly Park in London, I was trying to get to HAm house but it was annoyingly shut.

Osterly is fabulous, its got the most compleate examples of Adam's work still in existance! One room looked like it was made by wedgewood! slightly odd but never mind! Another room was in the dark exceptt for a few little lights to simulate candle light was a vert interesting effect, suddenly everything was ao much warmer!

In Saterday mummy came and took me to Claydon in the middle of nowhere cos she is a super star! It was aswesome, the mouldings were so elaborate! there was a room done in the chinoiserie style that was just unforgettable! the only slight problem was that the house hyad been "restored" by Fellows who has a habit of painting things the way he thinks they should be not necessarily the way they were. So lots of lovely pale colours that scream "GEORGIAN" to us but to be honest the colours culd have been a lot more dramatic. Still fantastic though!

On Sunday mummy took me to the knitting and stitching show at Ally Pally. Always an awesome day out, I got wool to knit some mittens for a friend! I also go the numbers and addresses of the libraries of the embroiderers Guild and the Knitting and crochet guild! Very exciting as they say they'll let me use their sources!!!

THEN we had duck for sunday dinner. YUM.

On Monday I went to London and got my British Library card and my Senate house Library card! very exciting stuff. AND we pootled arouyng the British Galaries at the V&A for the afternoon. I say pootled, it was serious academic research....and we got to coo over the pretty pretty stuff!

hugs!

location: computer lab mood: bouncy music: none....:( tags: uni work