Things That Make You Go "aaahh :)"

After realising the contents of this site were a tad dour, I had previously commented as to the need for some cheer. This requirement was further reinforced just now after clicked Miss L's Facebook profile, and being greeted with an advertisement espousing the power of positive thinking.

So I give you things that make me smile, in the hope that they may make you smile and the Facebook Gods won't demand you adopt positive thinking (at a low, low price too!)

1. The word 'widget'. I quite frequently choose a new favourite word. For some time it was 'whimsical' as whenever I said it, I felt the need to blow some windchimes and wear ribbons in my hair or something.

In keeping with all things "W", at the moment I love 'widget'. Just try and say it without smiling... go on, give it a go.

I haven't bothered to google widget, however I google image searched it and I fear it may in fact have a dull practical application, so I may invent a new meaning, just like Shakespeare does...

Quite dull, yes?

2. These biscuits:

These are pretty much the greatest thing ever invented. I think there used to be a Crunchie Biscuit back in the day which were genius. These are pretty close to perfect replicas. Those little honeycomb nuggets are brilliant, and who can say no to 'yellow squiggles'??

These are responsible for me getting fat(ter).

**side note: spotted on special at Avalon Woolworths for $1.99. That's a gold coin donation people! For so much calorific goodness!

3. Coca-Cola related products.

It's about time we let you in on a little secret. Most blogs are powered by this new-fangled thing called the 'internet'. Here is where we are unique. We are in fact powered by Coke. I dread to think of the total annual spend on Coca Cola between both L and myself, however would estimate it would fund a fairly decent round-the-world trip.

Our preference in beverage has lead to some contention here at SIDAR HQ, with L preferring the original, full sugar/caffeine hit of plain and simple Coke, whilst I prefer Zero. Not only a fairly kicking YYY's song (check out the Animal Collective remix... its electric), it has pretty much zilch in the way of pesky kilojoules as well as sexy black labelling so you don't feel like fatty as you do whilst enjoying his cousin 'Diet'.

Diamonds... ooohhhh!!!

4. The Mighty Boosh

This has been a long time love of mine, and indeed is responsible for much of the (attempted) humorous references and vocabulary influences infused in our writing. Despite spending a great deal of time in London, when I picture it in my mind, I have trouble separating it from the Nabootique in Dalston.

If you are not familiar with the humour of the Boosh, please do me a favour and familiarise rapidly. Pretty sure anyone that knows me as been recruited (coerced?) into the Boosh fanclub with repeated viewings, and as a group we have been known to perform gin-induced recitals of particular crimps along Oxford Street.

Plus, I am not afraid to admit that I'm a little turned on by this (however so jealous of Howard):

5. The new collaboration between Deerhunter side project Atlas Sound and Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear from Animal Collective):Walkabout.

I lack the technical capacity to put this as an mp3 here as I am quite technologically slow and only figured out how to make screenshots today... but seriously, download it. Its amazing. I recommend elbo.ws for all your musical needs...

This track is such a joyful journey.. with the hook of

What did you want to see

What did you want

To be when you grew up

This just implores you to take yourself on a little imaginative journey, 'Where the Wild Things Are' style. I see myself as an eight year old wearing a pink dress, frilled socks and pink shoes. My hair is in two plaits as I sit on the swing in my garden making up songs, the beat kept by the forward-back motion of the swing.

So that's my top 5 for this week... perhaps this should be a regular thing, you know, keeping the spirits up and all?

Or perhaps the best thing for raising spirits is in fact, spirits. Aaah gin, the true panacea...

Who needs Nick and Norah?

They can have their infinite playlist. I've learnt Ableton. Well not really... I fiddled and played and eventully made something that somewhat resembles a mixtape of sorts.

Have a listen if you dare. Just download it- it around 37 mins or so. It won't kill your bandwidth limits.

Tracklisting is as follows:

Soulwax- NY Excuse (Justice Mix)//Uffie- Hot Chick (Mr Oizo)//Toto- Africa (Benson mix)//Convaire- Bad Taste//Robots in Disguise- DJ’s Got a Gun//Friendly Fires- Skeleton Boy (Grum Mix)//Aesop Rock- Lucy//The Rapture- No Sex For Ben//Peter Bjorn & John- Shut the Fuck Up Boy//Emil and Friends- Girlfriend on Girlfriend (Phoenix/Michael Jackson)//Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Zero (N.A.S.A remix)//Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit//Tame Impala- Half Full Glass of Wine//Rage Against the Machine- Killing in the Name//Jack Ladder- Mother (Bird’s the Word)//The Mighty Boosh- Electro Boy.

Please don't laugh too much!
xx

Friends Don’t Let Friends Wear Leggings As Pants…

But kindred spirits will appreciate these. I want. I want. I want.

Sprouting up a while ago in Topshop, they not only fuse my (secret) love of lycra-wrapped thighs in terms of sheer warmth and comfort levels, they elevate this product to god-like status my virtue of Rule Britannia pattern.

As this little website of words is still its infancy we probably don’t know each other that well. So here’s a fact about me:

I love all things Britain.

From Marmalade and Jam to wintery walks through the plains of the Costwolds, England conjures an image fused from stylised childood remembrances coupled with my imagined future.

It is pure style. From the romantic County fashion of Liberty prints, Hunter wellingtons and windswept moors, I imagine poetry, crackling fires and cuddling beneath a blanket with a dashing young Oxbridge graduate.

Similarly, I imagine myself pulling on aforementioned leggings, and drinking ale in a centuries old pub tucked just off the Camden High St.

I think this obsession comes from a fortune teller... yes, fortune teller.

My cousin went to have her fortune told, and included in the details of her 'future' was a mention that I was destined to marry an English man. This in conjunction with my utter obsession with all things London- The Mighty Boosh, Russell Brand, Shoreditch culture, Camden fashion and the extraordinarily prevalent live music scene in North-East London (to name a few) confirmed in my mind I would be marrying either of these men:

Noel Fielding as Vlad the Impaler in Kasabian videoclip... Oh baby

Richard Ayoade as Moss in IT Crowd... swoon

At least with Noel we can share leggings....