Cooking

I recently came across Mary McCartney's 'Food. Vegetarian home cooking' book and fell in love. On a visit to a local book shop I saw it in passing on sale for $10 so snatched it up without giving it too much of a look (I am always quick to get my hands on any kind of vegetarian recipes that might have some merit). When I arrived home and took the time to flick through the pages in more depth I found the recipes to be exactly the kind of food I love to eat. Ever since I became a vegetarian two years ago, I've had trouble feeling motivated to cook myself delicious meals, but this book has changed that. I am feeling excited about trying out all these meals and (even more so), tasting them. I'm having a friend over for lunch tomorrow and hope to try one of them out. I'm tossing up over the 'Easy-Peasy soup', and the 'Halloumi and roasted red pepper salad'. Decisions, decisions!

I really do enjoy getting excited over things.

The perks

(Photograph from http://weheartit.com/entry/44255552/via/Love_Images_Coffee )

I began Stephen Chbosky's 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' yesterday and stayed up all night reading it. I finished it today. It's been on my bookshelf for four months and I only picked it up yesterday because the film will be out soon and I didn't want to see it without reading the book. I didn't expect it to affect me the way it has, of course I'd heard that it was a good book but I honestly didn't expect too much from it as I've had a sort of disappointing run with books lately. It pulled me in though. I felt like I was 17 again, and I've never loved being an age more than I loved being 17. Some parts felt invigorating, where others made me feel sad not only for the characters, but for the way I've lived my life. I'm afraid that I'm a little bit of a wallflower. Sticking to the edges, choosing to be empathetic so as not to do anything that may put somebody else out. You know that scene in 'Grease' where they're at the dance and there's that one shot of all the girls sitting on the sidelines looking sad? Then that one girl gets asked to dance and she floats away, leaving her comrades behind- I am one of those girls. Or I was. I like to observe, and I want to 'participate' in life like nothing else in the world and I do, at times. But I feel like it isn't quite enough. 

I related to Charlie increasingly throughout the book. It scared me somewhat. But it did something else for me. As I read the book in the bath last night, I took a moment to look up at the ceiling and ponder on what I'd just read. The shifting light reflection of the water on the ceiling was hypnotic and I could hear the sounds of shouts over loud music as my neighbour had a party. I haven't been to parties in a long time. It made me sad. Perhaps I am too complacent in my shyness.
But that isn't something I can't fix. I will fix it, as much I feel i need to. I will do the things that i want to and worry about problems when they arise. 

Motivation

Drawing and painting are things I haven't been doing nearly as much in the last two years. Studying and working has been eating away at my time and I haven't been doing what I love my most. Since finishing my semester I've begun working on my sketches again and it's been brilliant. 

My summer girl (above here) is one of my favourites. I actually drew her as part of my year.12 folio and every time I see her she reminds me of the hot days and numerous hours I spent in the art room, working on my folio, listening to Stephen Fry podgrams, and giggling with friends. 

Expression is something I really enjoy working on. It's difficult to achieve (for me) and so when I get it right, I get pretty excited. 

Sketches

Cassie Ainsworth from 'Skins' generation 1 is one of my favourite characters. I adore drawing her and this is one of my earlier sketches of her. Her big teeth, wispy hair, mismatched clothes and eerie eyes are brilliantly fun to draw.

The Magic of Carrie Hope Fletcher

A lovely youtuber/musician that I am a rather big fan of is one, Carrie Hope Fletcher. She has begun quite a beautiful campaign titled, 'things I'll never say'. It's a brilliant idea where people can send in anonymous confessions of things they'll never say to someone they care about, then Miss Fletcher draws a gorgeous illustration to go with it. This one is my favourite:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ItsWayPastMyBedTime

http://carriehopefletcher.com/

Hobbiton.

I went on a trip to New Zealand recently and visited the gorgeous 'Hobbiton' where the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' movies were filmed. It was incredibly beautiful and this is a picture of Bag End. To book tickets or read about the tour, you can go here: http://www.hobbitontours.com/

The sights are breathtaking, and you feel yourself enter into the incredible fantastical world that you experience in the books and films. If you ever have a chance to visit this place, I suggest you most definitely take it.

(The party tree)