Little Miss Mopey October 31, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Music.2 comments
I used to be told off because I enjoy sad songs. For a while I used to feel bad. Maybe listening to tunes that were deep and hurtful meant that I was a damaged person. Maybe it meant that I had lost my happiness. Maybe it said something disappointing about the me that I was inside.
Recently, however, I have realised that it is important to embrace the darker side of yourself. It is important to be happy with the fact that you can admit your sadness. That you can hear a beautiful piece of music and feel it inside, right down to the very core of you. You can feel to a level that some people only dream of, and you should never be ashamed of that. I have sat, with iTunes winding its way through the deepest, darkest and most beautiful pieces of music that I have ever known, and I am completely aware that they only make me stronger. Their soft, soulful poetry expresses a beauty in the world that I can normally only dream of, as this is one of the best skills to ever have. I can’t explain the things I think and the things I feel, but these artists can, through their chords, elongated notes and carefully crafted words. They see inside of me.
Paranormal Activity 2: A Wuss’ Guide October 27, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Tonight I enjoyed yet another fright fest with the lovely gals from my old work. We always see scary films together, which is a good job as sometimes, just sometimes, those films transform me into a jabbering wreck. Tonight, whilst ignoring the fact that all my cold-filled head wanted to do was sniffle and snuffle, we went to see Paranormal Activity 2, a sequel that is just as good as the original, and which may well be even scarier. So with no further fuss, here is a little guide to how to watch it if you, like me, are something of a wuss…
- Take appropriate covering. For me, this involved hiding underneath my (wonderful) new velvet coat.
- Take good friends. They have to be willing to a) bit accidentally hit by you when you jump unexpectedly, and b) be easily as scared as you are!
- Whisper your way (quietly) through the scary bits (and laugh when the girl in the back nearly wets herself at a particularly scary bit!)
- Ring your mum on the way home, because otherwise you’ll worry about demons getting you from the shadows. Reassure her that this time at least you aren’t worrying about zombies getting you, like last time you rang her like this.
- Finally, read and watch fun things when you get hom. Hence why I am now watching strange but cute YouTube videos. And trying to work out how to train a cat to dance.
What I Wore: Beaded Jumpsuit & Blazer October 25, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, What I Wore.3 comments
A lot of people hate jumpsuits. A lot of these people are in my close group of friends. However, sometimes I like to wear them, and as this was one of my recent purchases from A-Wear, I thought I would share it with you at the risk of being mocked and ridiculed, the object of their most passionate disdain!
Excuse the strange expression...
Anyway, I felt kinda sexy all day, apart from the fact that jumpsuits are not designed for ever actually going to the toilet. Still, the heels, tights and sexy black jacket all made up for an inconvenience – and since I don’t often feel sexy, I’ll take it where I can get it!
Jumpsuit: A-Wear fashion
Blazer: Jaeger
Heels: Irregular Choice
A Veritable Bag Of Treats October 24, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Foodiness.3 comments
I spent a lovely day today with the wonderful Lysy, baking cakes and listening to the levellers, we me wiggling my way somewhat awfully around the kitchen in time with the music. We made cupcakes, which went rather flat. In fact, when warm, the mix tasted more like a sweet chocolate batter than cake mix, which was odd but not entirely unpleasant. Anyway, the deep brown and the flatness actually worked well when it came to decorating them – providing a blank canvas that was more than little reminiscent of the bare earth of a freshly dug grave…
This, by the way, was good thanks to the fact that, a week early, I was having fun with my new book, “A Zombie Ate My Cupcake” . The Halloween themed cakes are, quite frankly, awesome, and it is simply the best pressie I have had in ages!
The results? A rather painful vampire bite oozing raspberry flavoured blood…
A pain in the neck...
Vampires suck...
And a ghastly ghoul gliding towards you across that upturned graveyard dirt…
Ooooooooohhhh.....
I'll make a ghost of him that lets me...
Last night I woke up screaming October 21, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Dreams.Tags: Dreams, Fear, Horror, nightmares, relationships, sleep
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Last night I woke up screaming. I pulled myself from deep down, swimming through murky water that clawed at me like toffee to finally plunge into the real world, with a scream tearing its way from my mouth as soon as I surfaced. Immediately after screaming, I lay back down, but I couldn’t get out of my head the feeling of utter terror. When my eyes tried to close, fluttering down against my will, I forced them open, staring around the room like a rabbit caught in the proverbial headlights.
What is strange is that I don’t know what was scary. I have apocalyptic dreams all of the time, and they entertain me from the moment my eyes close to the second my alarm wakes me in the morning. This dream, however, consisted of me flying around a huge, dark, and deserted department store, fighting as always against gravity and the ever encroaching darkness. At one point there was a slow wall of mud crawling through a town, and a mad rush to escape. All in all, it was pretty far from terrifying.
Yet still, there I was, wild eyed and pumped full of adrenaline, at three in the morning. Realising, of course, that for the first time since I have been single, I needed someone to hold me. I needed someone to stroke me, and tell me that it would all be alright, and shh me until I faded into sleep with their arms wrapped around me and their breath hot against my skin.
And there I was, alone.
Make Love Not War October 19, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Graphic Design, Inspiration, Photos.Tags: art, body art, guns, Love, origami, tattoos
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Had to share this… a stunning juxtaposition between the violence and ugly nature of firearms, and the friendship and love implicit in an origami crane.
Early Autumn Frost October 18, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics.add a comment
It was frosty for the first time the other morning. We walked outside to a midnight world that glistened in the light from the slither of moon, and our breath clouded in front of us to form magical shapes and mystically creatures. The grass, though not quite frosted, was beaded with a pattern of dew that made it seem to be sparkling. Beyond that, the roofs of the cars had crystallised, with a sugary crust that made the tips of my fingers tingle and wince. It was beautiful, with the sky indigo and utterly clear above us, but at the same time it was sad. Winter is coming.
This weekend was a nice one. For the first time I branched out into the world of dating, where I enjoyed interesting discussion and the fact that there I was, actually on a date! Dates are strange though, two people who have never met before attempting to get on. I don’t know f fI like the idea, although I accept it may be necessary to make the world go round! Now, back to the world of work for a week…
Mad To Live October 15, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Books, Inspiration.Tags: american literature, jack kerouac, literature, Reading
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The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding across the stars, and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘awww!’
On the road, Jack Kerouac
Semi-Daily eBay | Mix Tap Watch (which is AWESOME) October 15, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Semi-Daily eBay.Tags: Fashion, mix tape watch, retro, vintage fashion, watches
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I can’t really afford to shell out £50 on a mix-tape watch, even if I do know someone who would love it (it would go perfectly with the high tops and suchlike he wears!). However, I had to share – this retro men’s watch is just brilliant! I saw it on a blog a few months ago, and when I saw it pop up on eBay I may have inadvertently bounced up and down with excitement.
Levi's Mix Tape Watch
As a total aside, does anyone else have a list of words that somehow manage to find their way into your vocabulary, but which then end up really annoying you? For some reason recently I have been using “Awesome” and “Fabulous” a lot – and it is getting to the point where I need some replacement words. Any suggestions?
Hmm… On Berlin, and on feeling lost October 14, 2010
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Blogs, Graphic Design, Life, Chatter & Politics, Photos.2 comments
Well, I am back from Berlin. It is an amazing place – a chaotic mix of gleaming new building, and crumbling sixties monstrosities. A combination of historical respect, and a powerful belief in the future. A place on one side battered to within an inch of its life, yet at the same time a place that refuses to be repressed. Berlin is, in essence, a city of two halves, only now there isn’t a wall to separate them.
Whilst the history of Berlin is, undoubtedly, terrible, it has clearly had a dramatic effect upon the outlook and attitudes of people who live there today. All around this inelegant place are memories – whether they are expressed in a huge concrete sculpture 5 acres big, or in a tiny piece of street art no bigger than your hand. They have chosen to accept the past, and learn from it – a recognition that is apparent in everything and in the way they treat and accept people in the modern world. This liberal nature, this thriving underground scene, is part of what made me enjoy this city so much, and is a major component in calling me back.
With no further ado, let me share some photos…
Graffiti on the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery
Isn't she gorgeous?! Famous Berlin Streetart
The contrast between different Berlin architecture - old vs. new
Lauren at the Berlin Jewish Memorial
As for the blog, I seem to have been neglecting it as of late. I am writing my portfolio and stuff, but at the same time I just don’t really have much to say currently. I keep catching myself wishing that this blog was a little more focused – with perhaps a set topic or structure, and less mindless ramblings of a lightly disconnected mind.
What do you guys think? Is it worth carrying on blogging, or should I branch out into a new space? I’m just feeling a little lost…
