Books for All

 

 One of my favourite used bookstores. It's one of those optical illusion places that looks teeny tiny on the outside but becomes really big once you step inside and venture up the narrow staircase to the second story. The owner is always reading when I come in. Always.

I guess that's what you do when you own a bookstore though.

 

 Sorry for the glare on the top book. I was trying to take a picture quickly through the front window as it rained. Someone told me iphones don't like being wet. I just love the illustration on the bottom right book, and it wasn't until I looked at this later that I realized Alice in Wonderland was on the left. One of my favourites! 

Someday when I'm rich I will buy loads of books and keep a library.

Rain and Coffee Shops

So today was one of those days where I just had to get out of the house. It just sort of gets to me around this time of year when we’ve had a few days of sun and the great outdoors and then all of a sudden the crappy weather decides to rear it’s ugly head again and force you back inside. It’s like a yo-yo relationship, up one day, down the next. If that doesn’t make for some seasonal depression I don’t know what will.

Boohoo.

So instead of wallowing in my self-pity and stir-craziness I decided to exert the bit of energy that lethargy had left me and made a trip to the coffee shop. (Although when I got there I didn’t get anything hot as the health conscious side of me had to kick in and rob me of my chai latte. So I got a “grapfruit and cranberry” drink, which didn’t taste any healthier than my old school juice boxes. Curse you health awareness!!!)

Of course I would pick a day to venture out when it was chucking it down! Ok, I exaggerate, it was steadily drizzling. And actually I didn’t mind too much (except that my straightened hair was threatening to turn into some crazy frizz). But really, I like the rain. It may not seem like it from everything previously stated, but once you’re out in it and sort of embrace it, you realize just how beautiful it makes everything. The pavement has that wet smell, the leaves look extra green as they get a fresh wash, colorful umbrellas pop up every where as people scuttle to find the nearest tree or store front.

It’s actually very peaceful to hear the pitter patter on my window pane. It’s also great to see the bird poo that I’ve been too lazy to take care of get washed off all by itself. There’s just so many great things about the rain. It also puts me in contemplative moods like this. It helps me slow down a little and just people watch. Like this photo of a little old lady waiting for her friend to join her. She was also waiting to snag a good spot because soon after this she shuffled to another table and staked her place.

I need to take advantage of days like this. Well actually I just need to take advantage of every day. No more silly excuses about the weather!!! It’s my responsibility to find inspiration everyday. Some days you just have to exert a bit more energy to find it :] Not that sitting in a coffee shop in England is a real hardship…

York!

 

Elise on the old Roman wall surrounding York

 

 The River

 

 

 We came across this little treasure. Unfortunately it was closed by the time we got to it.

 

 

 

Illustration

 

 Charis and Elise: The Fashion Illustrations!

Miss Potter

 

Just had a beautiful day at Hilltop Farm, the home of Beatrix Potter. Another one of my many inspirations that I look up to. She was truly a remarkable and enlightened woman who desired nothing more than the simple life which came to her in the form of this beautiful farm surrounded by her animals and the people closest to her. And yet her simplicity and courage to do things differently have had a lasting impact on every generation of children since. I would love to be something like her. Also, owning loads of property in the Lake District wouldn’t be too bad either :]

 

 A view of Sawrey, right across the road from Hilltop Farm

 

 I found Mr McGregor!! I told him he should stop killing rabbits.

So It Begins

So I think I’m going to start a blog. It seems like a happy medium between my inner-most drama-filled journal entries and my properly composed school essays. I used to think that only foodies, world travellers, and computer nerds blogged. Actually I think I was mostly intimidated by them. It was probably a case of judging what I didn’t understand. Anyways, really none of those categories apply to me (except maybe world traveler although my limited journeys would never make it into National Geographic) and yet I feel that blogging is something I should do, at least try. I’m not sure why, but if I were to try and answer that I think it’s because I’ve discovered that I like to process out loud (this revelation will not be so new to the people who know me) and also because I’ve realised that people who I really admire, and are frankly pretty darn cool, blog. (Not that I’m doing it just because they are…Of course not! :])

But anyways…

To share some of my inspirations... 

I’ve been following The Sartorialist blog for about three years now. He doesn’t often write too much with his street fashion photographs but when I did start reading some of his insights and musings on the deep world of fashion (wink, wink), I realised that I really like hearing what other people think about stuff, especially if it’s stuff I’m interested in. And then I ran across his (Scott Schumann who is “The Sartorialist”) girlfriend’s blog, Garance Dore (go check it out!!!) and absolutely fell in love with it! It’s simple enough, she just shares her illustrations and beautiful street fashion photos, but what really makes it so wonderful is her candid and often humorous commentary on the fashion world and life in general. She just unashamedly puts it all out there and you feel like you know her, or she’s just like one of your good friends. It made me think that sharing my thoughts for everyone to see could be fun, ramble-y or short, and best of all, real. And on the side it’s a great way to get your personal artwork out there.

P.S. It’s also terrifying.

I’m also beginning to pursue a long neglected love for illustration and painting. Perhaps it’s more a case of rediscovery. I love those moments in life when you pick something back up that adds so much to your life that you don’t know how you ever lived without it before. Dreams have to be pursued. So maybe this blog is really simply about that. Being brave enough to stick your neck out there and begin to try new things. What’s the worst that could happen? Basically, I’m just going to run with this and see where it takes me. And you are more than welcome to join me!

Oh I forgot to say that Sarah Cooke is one of my inspirations too. Without her believing in me and encouraging me to do this I probably never would have… So thanks boss.

And thank you Elise for showing me Tumblr. :D