Micro Pleasures (1-10)

From the hedgehogs on my bedsheets, to the box of teabags by my kettle, to the gothic mirror I found in a junk shop in my third year of university, and have carted with me everywhere since, I'm constantly surrounding myself with things that bring me little moments of happiness. 'Micro Pleasures,' as The Goddess Experience would call them. The debris of a life well lived, as the older generation might say. 'My stuff' as I'd go about it.

On Saturday, Thom suggested we begin a 'gratuity jar,' to put some positivity into our collective lives. This escalated to become a colour coded 'gratuity calendar,' with a different coloured post it note for each housemate and then, for me at least, it became an idea for a blog series. Much like the '100 things that make me happy' lists I put together way back in another life, these posts will be used to document the things that bring me joy, or pleasure, as the title suggests. Because what better way is there to combat loneliness and romantic drama than to take stock of the things in life that make you crazy happy? No better way, that's what. Absolutely none whatsoever.

Here goes nothing...

1. My four legged feline friends. Erm, can we just take note of how tiny Charlie looks in Thom's arms? I love this.



2. Sanctuary spa candles.

3. Photography by David Bailey.



4. The blackboard in our living room. This is where we leave each other notes. Random, ridiculous notes. Mostly just quotes, really. And ripped out pictures of Taylor Swift with 'long live the queen' scrawled across them.

5. Movie posters on bedroom walls.

6. Receiving a text message from someone adorable.



7. Proper pyjamas. Yes, this is what I mean when I say I'm going to 'slip into something more comfortable' - eat your heart out gentlemen.

8. Time spent on the sofa with housemates, discussing absolutely everything, watching Big Bang Theory, and eating our weight in Camembert.

9. Camembert. Baked and served with crusty bread.



10. This necklace. Because it is exactly my taste in jewellery, and because Sam gave it to me for Christmas, which just shows how well she knows me. I've worn it every day since.

What If

I have something serious to tell you. Are you sitting down? OK. Here goes nothing... I'm obsessed with this movie.

Felt good to get that off my chest.

Starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, What If (without a '?' which I'll admit annoys me a little) is the story of a girl-guy friendship challenged by the age old question - can men and women really just be friends?

Three favourite quotes:
"You don't realise how quickly everything can fall apart until it does, makes you never want to give up anything good again."
"I just had sex and I'm about to eat nachos, this is the greatest moment of my life!"
"It's complicated. All this love shit's complicated. Because if it's too simple you've got no reason to try. And if you've got no reason to try, you don't."

As the two main protagonists - Wallace (Radcliffe) and Chantry (Kazan)  - navigate their way through a friendship filled with lust and longing, trying desperately to come to a conclusion that doesn't ruin both their lives, the movie throws up some of the sweetest, some of the funniest, and some of the most heart wrenchingly real scenes since (500) Days of Summer. In short, it makes me do a happy cry, I've watched it three times since Saturday, and you're going to love it.

11/10.

Gingerbread Milk: A Christmas Drink Recipe

I use the word ‘recipe’ very loosely here, as this is probably the most basic of Christmassy drinks. But it’s delicious. And you’ll thank me for it. So…

What you will need: Monin Gingerbread syrup, whole milk, ground cinnamon, a pan, & a cup.
What you will need to do: Heat your milk, pour, add gingerbread syrup to taste, stir, sprinkle cinnamon on top, drink.

Et voilà! Gingerbread milk.

Next to try? Schnocoa. More on that story as it develops…

London

& 3 quotes

“Be careful, you are not in Wonderland. I’ve heard the strange madness long growing in your soul. But you are fortunate in your ignorance, in your isolation. You who have suffered, find where love hides. Give, share, lose—lest we die, unbloomed.” - Kill Your Darlings

"When one makes a gesture, one stops breathing, one cuts the respiratory system off, the lungs and everything connected are blocked. I have often tried with my granddaughter who is twelve years old. I give her an instrument and tell her to draw me a straight line – and she bites her tongue to do it! So, I think that it’s hard-wired with human beings that when one writes one stops breathing entirely. When one goes back to the inkwell – it also gives time to take in some more oxygen for the body." - Hassan Massoudy

"You are a fine piece of china, he treated you like a paper plane." - Some (very insightful yet possibly a bit intoxicated) girl on the tube. I found this hilarious... Obviously.

Reincarnation

A small truth: I'm hopelessly fascinated by everything Karl Lagerfeld, and (almost) everything Cara Delevingne. Whenever something new crops up about either of them, I'm all over it. Karl got a cat? I've stared at pictures of her. Karl's cat got a fashion line and a book deal? Well obviously, what took so long? Cara did a line for Mulberry? WHY DON'T I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ENCOURAGE THIS ENDEAVOUR? etc. And so, naturally, when I read that Karl's latest fashion film would star Delevingne herself, I was intrigued. So intrigued that I memorised the release date... Stop judging me.

Anyway!

'Reincarnation' aired online today, and I wasn't disappointed. I love everything about this short film - from the outfits, to the singing, to the bad lip syncing and even worse (by which I mean awesome, because who doesn't love to pull out the dad moves every once in a while?) dancing.

I suggest you give up 7 minutes 47 seconds to watch. 'CC The World' might just be your new favourite song.

More to watch online: Missing Something - a very funny web series about 20 something London. And Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud.