insecurities

Hey there lovelies,

Now I am not normally the sort of person who really gets into the whole "motivational" thing, I tend to zone out and just think about how unlikely it is that I am actually going to "take time out to de-stress" or "repeat my positive mantra five times a day" etc etc.. But when I came across this article today called insecurity doesn't pay the bills, and as a completely over-analytic anxiety wreck (i'll wager that I could beat most of you in a crazy-off) who aspires to be a "proper designer" one day this completely spoke to me.

So I suppose I have to be a better person now and blog more regularly!

Hope you're feeling just a little bit inspired :)

xx Elly

type

Today is the type of day that I haven't had in ages.

I got up, didn't get dressed until midday, sat on the sofa under a blanket and got some of my silly uni work done. It was so nice when I woke up, the kind of cold and rainy day where it is so nice to just sit inside.

I've really been loving the cold weather despite being sickly because I am a half-english, cold-loving kind of girl. My plans for the future are to move to Melbourne where they have proper winters, and then in the more distant future to move to Sweden where they have really proper winters. The type of winters where you can legitimately wear coats and smoke cigarettes in a sophisticated-european-black-and-white-film kind of way. This is what I am envisioning for my life. I just have to train my lungs to not die the day after I decide to smoke a single cigarette..

In other news, while procrastinating from my work AGAIN (this is a very common theme in my life) I found the most gorgeous little blog called we make words and am now absolutely obsessed.

Being the design-student typography-obsessive girl that I am, this is my idea of heaven, especially as cutesy real-life type is actually my favourite thing ever. Well one of them at least! And I love that the materials are unrelated to the words that are written.

Beautiful work girls I am totally jealous inspired!

xx Elly

sickly

Oh dearrr,
Being the sickly girl that I always have been, for the past week or so I have felt even worse and as such have been completely unproductive and unmotivated to do anything.

As such, all useful activities have fallen by the wayside in favour of falling asleep under snuggly blankets, drinking hot chocolates and crying to ease the pain (literal pain not emo pain, for once..)

One of the main problems with this is that this week and next week are the two weeks before my uni break and are the two weeks in which a bunchload of my work is due. ISSUES ARISE.

Anyway, apart from my many woes, if you are feeling a bit down lately like me I have a sure-fire cure for you, and that cure is baking. Baking solves everything (except obesity I hear..) Try out this amazing chocolate torte from design sponge, trust me it is easy as pie (ha?)

Seriously though, a certain silly friend once grilled my mix instead of baking it and it still came out delicious, though I think it might be hard to go wrong with a melting pot of chocolate and butter.

(photo from design sponge, my one wasn't quite as beautiful!)

Take care,

xx Elly

movies

I don't go to the movies very often, but whenever I do I really hate it when I get there a bit late and miss all the trailers! Trailers are awesome. If it's for a good movie then I sit there gasping and pointing and poking whoever is next to me, and if it is for some silly action movie I sit there laughing and counting how many explosions they can possibly fit into one trailer.

I should be doing something more useful (uni readings, sewing, looking for a job!) but I came across this hilarious video regarding movie trailers and thought I need to show this to every single person ever...

from britanick

I feel like this is something I shouldn't find so funny, but pretty much every part is hilariously accurate (except it probably could have done without the bit in the middle about the latin teenager, avatar references etc..)

xx Elly

animated

Ever since the beginning of high school where I was forced into makingspeeches to the class, I have had a love for powerpoint presentations. My favourite part about them was adding in a load of animated gifs to distract everyone from my lack of knowledge (very successful by the way).

I now keep a file on my computer chock full of every random animated gif I come across in case I ever need it for presentation embellishment again, and looking through it brings me hours of amusement.

Today I found a completely amazing site filed with fancy animations that are somewhat design-related (which bodes well for my presentation relevance!) with various stationery and technology objects in action, a pencil being snapped for example, all in lovely bright colours.

Despite this, my current fave is one of a boy getting punched in the face and bleeding paper blood. I can't get enough of things that use paper as other objects, definitely appeals to my rather large crafty side.

in addition, more amazingness in the form of a claymation video from the same site. I love the well-choreographed dance break in the middle.

Wooork from Elisava on Vimeo.

That is all the coolness I can handle for today folks

xx Elly

baking

Gosh I have been so hot for the past few days. I really think that I should never have been born in this country as I really prefer cold weather to hot times a million billion. Plus, the weather keeps tricking me into thinking its getting colder but then it always goes back to baking me alive!

But that is not the point.

The point is actually just that  wanted to show off some of the sweet cupcakes I baked the other day.

They are supposed to be reindeer, in case like my father you thought they were "bug-men," whatever they might be.. but nothing will stop me from being proud of my cake decorating prowess!

In fact maybe i'll show you some previous attempts that are a bit more impressive so as not to seem so hopeless..

cupcake buns with brownie burgers! yummm...

special valentines biscuits for alice, my makeshift boyfriend/reciever of obsessive gifts..

Along with todays ironing and sewing efforts, I am beginning to believe that I am subconsciously training myself to be a 1950's housewife. Actually maybe it's not so subconcious. Now all I need is a dashingly debonair husband! (feel free to pass on any volunteers!)

Well there is one slight flaw in that theory, in that I am so lazy I have still not posted up the lovely clothings onto Etsy yet.. This will not do! Maybe I will offer a free cupcake to those who buy things, although you might have to live nearby because I don't think I can send them through the post..

 

xx Elly

P.S. I am meaning to sign up to this as soon as I figure out how to properly word my application (I tend to stress about these things!)

It's a lovely idea called the package project which aims to connect bloggers to other bloggers by having them send packages of crafty goodies to one another! I find things like this amazingly sweet and have always wanted to participate so I had better get over my anxieties quickly!

P.P.S. You might see the results of todays sewing endeavors up here soon!

daily dresses

I have a somewhat inspiring tale today. Marisa in the U S of A has set herself a mission this year: 365 days, 365 dollars, 365 outfits. And every one of her outfits this year will be centred around an item of second hand clothing. I might not style some of the items quite how she did, but it is really amazing what she can do with a piece of clothing that many might think were far beyond style salvation, and even more amazing that she can find so many clothes out there for one dollar each! 
Here's an example of how she uses a few snips and stitches to make an incredible transformation:



If only I were brave enough to embark on such an epic quest..
Vintage clothes are far more environmentally friendly as they remove the need to constantly create new garments, as well as being generally better made than those of today. Add the extremely low price and unique fashion styles into the equation and I think you have a recipe for success!

Oh well, there is always next year!

xx Elly