My Aura January 29, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Inspiration, Meme.Tags: aura, fun
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Copying Becki at Nectarville, I decided to see what my aura is…
Your Aura is Violet |
 Idealistic and thoughtful, you have the mind and ideas to change the world.And you have the charisma of a great leader, even if you don’t always use it!The purpose of your life: saying truths that other people dare not say Famous purples include: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Susan B. Anthony Careers for you to try: Political Activist, Inventor, Life Coach
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Skiving January 29, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, Life, Chatter & Politics, Vintage.Tags: 60's, blogging, Clothes, eBay, Fashion, freelance, Hippy, journalism, pets, rats, Rex, Writing
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I haven’t posted on here for a week. I have been busy seeking out replacement rats for little Storm (who is incredibly mopey – the only bonus being that she has discovered she loves Ben and I!). I have actually found 2 – one in Oxford which we collect this Saturday (a fancy rat from a rescue brood that totalled over 40 baby rats in the end), and one in Leeds which I am currently arranging the meet up for. The Leeds one is a gorgeous little Rex rat, which means it has curly hair! I cannot wait to get them!
Anyway, I obviously haven’t spent all of my time rat researching – I just haven’t felt like posting and so have avoided it. Of course, I have plenty of other excuses – I joined a gym (and went!), bought my valentines/anniversary present for Ben (approaching 2 years on the 13th Feb!), and also learnt just how to effectively over-use brackets!
I have been trying to find some more freelancework, as I am aware that my skills set, whilst broad-ranging- could use a bit of extra *spark* to bulk it up. I am also considering joining a web design course at the beginning of February to make myself a more rounded person. I really want to get down to starting a Marketing certificate, but am aware that money wise I will have to delay this until I have saved for a year. My writing for www.largom.com, however, has become pretty interesting of late – a couple of weeks ago I got to write a piece on pod-homes – fascinating bits of architecture! I will post the link as soon as it is up.
I apologise – this post has become like a diary post – or even worse, a shopping list of what I have and haven’t yet achieved this week. But at least you know I haven’t forgotten you all, and have just had a little break.
Here are this weeks eBay buys – i seem to be leaning towards Hippy-ness and the 60′s at the moment, and have made a conscious decision to move from fashion loving to fashion collecting – I hope to build up a beautiful collection of clothes! woop!
This beautful dress seems slightly “post-hippy” to me – only a tenner! My eBay spend has been going up recently, with good returns!
This nightdress has definate potential for a day dress! Only £3.99
Finally this 60s dress is gorgeous – and in crinolene so it could really be more “vintage” – this was my most expensive buy of the past few months at £12.50!
Sad times January 20, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Depression, Family.Tags: death. pets, Depression, illness
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We had to have Tilly put down last night. After month’s of battling this illness it was obvious that she was in continual pain and discomfort – I felt terribly guilty. That said, what right of mine was it to take it upon myself to choose when my little Tilly should die? I have never felt such waves of guilt, watching her falling over in the little gas chamber, and then seeing her gradually stop breathing as we stroked her.
I don’t feel like posting much more today, please forgive me. We are, however, hopefully going to look at other rats tonight. Not as a replacement (Tilly was truely one of a kind, I honestly believe we will never have another such loving rat), but becasue now Storm is on her own – and she has never lived without company, ever.
Vintage Shoes January 14, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.Tags: eBay, Fashion, irregular choice, Shoes, Shopping, vintage, vintage shoes
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I have spent the past few weeks selling items on eBay, and have been relatively successful. I am gettgin rid of the clothes that have been holding up my wardrobe for years in some cases – but one of my favourite items (shoes soo small for me they don’t fit on my feet) isn’t selling.
They are a gorgeous pair of vintage pearl shoes with gold threaded perspex heels – yet for a fiver they simply aren’t selling! Very disappointing!
I sense a relisting coming up!
More pretty things! January 12, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.Tags: Bracelet, jewellery, pretty things
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Pretty things are gracing my life a lot at the moment – including this rather gorgeous bracelet I have just been given by my boss – straight from the beaches of Guatemala! Its a crocheted beaded beauty, in all colours!
I love it!
New thing for the week! January 12, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.Tags: creative writing, diets, fitness, food writing, personal development, web desing, Writing
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Remember my “challenging myself” new years resolution? Well, so far I have stuck to it – doing something new each week. Last week I watched Australia (beautiful, sad, and with clothes to die for) with my Uni friend Laura, and Cie, and also stayed up til 12 playing pictionary for the first time in my life.
This week I seem to be attempting two new things! Or maybe even three! I have just decided that to further my career and add to my ability set I am going to sign up to the local web design course, which starts this Thursday. As well as serving obvious personal development purposes (Woo, go me! And this is OUTSIDE of work!), this will get me more involved in my local community, which is never a bad thing.
Secondly, I have taken my aspirations towards food writing into new areas. My recipe page on this blog is testament to the fact I like to cook – but I found the process of adding page after page (why has noone developed the idea of having two blogs combined into one site?!) tiring to say the very least, and my posting gradually tailed off. In remedy to this, I have decided to launch a new blog, called “Digging for Truffles“. On this blog I hope to catalogue cool bits and pieces I find during my everyday Internet trawling, chart my recipes, and generally gain myself some food writing experience.
In line with this, I am probably going to close down my “I want to write a book” site – it is simply too difficult for me to attempt to put my life on paper, whilst documenting all the ups and downs. I want to be able to take this emotional roller coaster ride at whatever pace I wish – even if that means suspending myself at the top of the loop-the-loop before I decide to swoop down it. Of course, good mate Jasmine will still be my immediate go to editor/friend – writing blog or no writing blog.
My final new thing will be an exercise DVD – cue uncoordinated thrashing, jumping and no doubt muscle strain!
Pretty things January 8, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.Tags: Books, charity shops, classics, eBay, Fashion, secondhand, Shopping, style
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My life seems to be full of pretty things at the moment – so, in honour of their lovelyness, I have decided that they deserve a bit of a photo blog. Forgive Bens decidedly shakey photography work – hence the blurry edge to most images!
Firslt, my pretty books. Following Cie’s lovely gift of “The Magic Toyshop”, and have been inspired to buy the rest of the series from Waterstones – resulting in this fantastic collection:
I have also been prancing around in some of my favourite vintage finds:
My lovely dress – I still haven’t sewed up the back, so I have to wear it with a jacket… for some reason, I spent over my £10 limit on this one – but it is lovely! You can see my rat in the background, she sneaked in!
My lovely vintage slip – which yup, I wear as a dress! It goes fantastically with my yellow bertie shoes!
And this, actually one of Cie’s charity shop finds – which I promptly adopted. I haven’t had an occasion to wear it yet – but I’m sure I will find one!
Finally, my Laura Ashley dress from ebay – I am still trying to decide how to alter it – shortening it will be a lot of effort! Any suggestions?
Post Christmas Blues January 7, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.Tags: Christmas, cold, Depression, freeze, New year, resolutions, singing, theatre, winter
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This week is cold. The kind of toe-numbing, teeth-chattering, soul-shivering cold that only ever happens post Christmas, and whichwill always manage to stun the nation to it’s metaphorical knees. This years freeze is somewhat colder than normal, and I have found myself waking in the middle of the night purely to shiver, and developing a slight phobia of walking to work on the ice, in case I fall and die. With temperatures hitting minus 8 or colder, I have enjoyed looking at the crystal patterns in the snow and ice, and experimenting with the frozen canal (note to self – NOT strong enough to hold a rock… thus it will not not hold you). However, with the nights seeming ever darker and days never making it to “bright”, I can’t avoid that certain breed of post-Christmas blues.
I’m feeling lonely. Well, not lonely exactly, but worried about being lonely. I worry that I am not doing enough with the day to day of my life – I am not learning enough, I am not experiencing enough. I worry that I am falling out of touch with friends I really don’t want to lose, and that living in the real world makes keeping these connections even harder. I know that this is not fully the case. After all, my Friend Laura is coming to visit this weekend, my sister is dropping in the weekend after, and the weekend after that I am seeing Jenny, my uni workmate. I am busy, being social and keeping friends.
Of course, it is THAT time of year. And consequently, I am going to take the opportunity to make a few little resolutions:
1. I will visit Devon once every 5 weeks or so, so that my friends at home know that I still love them. If I can’t visit, I will try and arrange something where we can all meet.
2. I will really really try to get to see uni friends – I will visit you, force to to visit me, and try to attend any meet-ups that we may have.
3. I will endeavour to DO more – I will try and do something enriching every week – whether it be going to a singing session, seeing something at the theatre, going out for dinner, challenging myself, or taking up a course.
What were your new year resolutions?
