nekomentsu

Monday Inspirations

2012-02-27T21:08:00.000Z

#1 These beautiful vintage pictures of Disneyland over at Modern Kiddo.

#2 This DIY at Karen Barbé

#3 Beautiful old pictures of circuses over at birthday cake, steak and wine.

#4 This video from Tomas Leach

The Film List | Week Twelve

2012-02-26T23:28:00.005Z

Weekend Pleasures

2012-02-26T01:41:00.001Z

- Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service on BBC6 Music

- Bagels with chocolate spread and peanut butter and a large pot of chocolate flake tea

- Game of Life, Careers, Monopoly and Scrabble

- Watching Crystal Maze re-runs with bags of white chocolate buttons and apple juice

- Warm rain showers breaking through the Spring skies.

- Reading in crisp, clean white sheets

- Late night films with salty popcorn and really icy Coca Cola

- Snuggles with cats while watching terrible Saturday night game shows

- Knitting new projects with new bamboo needles and new mohair wool

- Listening to soft, scratchy records wrapped up in blankets on the sofa

- Two hour baths with heaps bubbles and a quick snooze in the soothing water

- Kigu time

100 Ideas | Week 1

2012-02-22T18:10:00.001Z

This is my first post as part of Keri Smith's 100 Ideas. I'm a little later in posting about this than I thought I would be, as I've started another of the 100 ideas, but because I've been so ill and busy lately I've had to put the breaks on the other idea for now.

So here's my choice of the week: 20. Write a haiku

Whenever I see mackerel sky I always think of my husband, Rob. He's the one who taught me the name, and we've had picnics, cuddles, walks, lots of other great times under the soft rippling clouds.

When I was travelling alone last year and saw mackerel sky in Tokyo it really hit home how much I missed him. So (apologies for the mush), this haiku is dedicated to him.

The Film List | Week Eleven

2012-02-19T21:16:00.002Z

Hello Spring

2012-02-18T11:12:00.000Z

As the snow melts away and the day starts to get (slightly) warmer (we are still in England after all!), I start dreaming of picnicking on soft, green lawns with cute, vintage-style tableware.

photo from: Girlscene

Next have some amazing pastel-coloured wares on sale, like these glasses. Imagine them filled to the brim with crushed ice, mint leaves and a refreshing mojito. Delicious!

And how cute would it be to pile candy-coloured cupcakes and cookies onto this beautiful rose-patterned plates, while sipping tea from the matching mugs.

And wouldn't the pink tablecloth make a lovely picnic rug?

I can't wait for the lovely, soft Spring sunshine to burst through the clouds, and for picnicking season to begin!

You can buy all of the things featured in this blog at Next.

Willard Asylum Suitcases

2012-02-17T18:13:00.000Z

I'm a big fan of abandoned building and object photographs, I think they are so evocative and full of nostalgia, sometimes even a hint of magic.

Jon Crispin's photographs of suitcases from the Willard Asylum are so full of ghosts you can almost feel them as you view the pictures.

You can view the entire collection here: http://joncrispin.wordpress.com.

Blogging for Confidence #1: Introduction

2012-02-16T19:52:00.001Z

As I previously mentioned, Meredith over at One Sheepish Girl started a blogging series called Blogging for Confidence, with the aim of increasing her self-confidence and confidence as a blogger.

I wanted to join the challenge as I feel my confidence has been slowly shrinking away since being diagnosed with CFS. I've been unable to move around, and get out of the house as much, so when I do leave my comfort zone I feel really exposed and nervous. I have a few challenges in mind to help me towards my goal:

1# Get out and about my local town and take some pictures - I live in a really pretty market town, but I always feel like such a dork when I get my camera out. I think it's because it makes me feel like a tourist in my own town. Let's get over that!

2# Knitting in public - I really want to get the confidence to go to a cafe and enjoy a nice big mug of tea, while knitting.

3# Yarnbombing - This kind of fits with #2.

4# Out myself as a blogger - This is a strange one, I'm so proud of my blog but I almost never tell anyone that I'm a blogger. I feel especially uncomfortable when visiting a cool place, like a restaurant or shop. I want to take pictures but feel so self-concious I usually end up just snapping a few haphazard, unusable shots.

So, let's get this project on the go! I'm desperate to try and grab back some of my self-confidence.

Good Post Day

2012-02-16T19:36:00.000Z

Don't you just love it when you have a good post day? Particularly when your day is not going particularly well before the postie rings your doorbell.

I had a minor spending splurge on Valentine's Day, but since Momiji currently have a sale on, it felt like money well spent. Opening the parcel was lovely, it was jam-packed full of stickers, dolls and little kawaii touches.

And then, just as I was settling down for a refreshing bottle of ramune and some cherry frangipane I received more post. A super-fun package from Anorak magazine - with the lastest magazine and a set of colouring books.

I think a good post day is completely capable of turning the day around, don't you?

p.s. The more observant of you may have noticed a spate of layout changes - hopefully I've finally settled on a design that's really me. Fingers crossed my fickle nature doesn't change it's mind again. Sorry if I'm making you dizzy!

New Projects

2012-02-13T15:44:00.000Z

I've never really discussed my illness in much depth on my blog - this is mostly because it's still very new to me, and I'm still trying to understand it myself. I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, which can make getting around quite painful and difficult, so I've been spending quite a lot of time at home. After a few months of moping about I've decided that I may be stuck at home, but I'm not going to idle away my time!

So, I've decided to join in a few online projects to make sure my time is never wasted.

#1. Blogging for Confidence
This was an idea imagined up by Meredith over at One Sheepish Girl, and is basically setting yourself challenges, to not only increase your confidence as a blogger, but in general too. I was never shy in the past, but since becoming ill I feel that my confidence has taken a little bit of a knock - so it would be great to build myself back up, and embrace my life for what it is now.

#2 Keri Smith's 100 Ideas
I've recently discovered (my favourite new blog) Goodnight Little Spoon. Bianca writes so beautifully about a number of topics, but I'm really, really enjoying her efforts to follow Keri Smith's 100 Ideas project. So, I thought I may as well join in (slightly late..but maybe I can cram some weeks!). Basically Keri has provided a list of 100 ideas to fit into a year, some are journal-based while others are more interactive. I think it will be a great way to get me out of the house - for short periods of time, as well as offering some much needed inspiration!

#3 Photo A Day
Fat Mum Slim has provided a really handy list of prompts for a photo a day challenge. I've wanted to join one of these for a long time, but I always thought that my daily life would seem a little bit boring and samey - so having prompts is really useful to me.

So, now you know how I'm going to be spending my freetime - are you doing any projects at the moment? Can you think of any that are worth recommending?

Lush DIY: Part II

2012-02-10T19:14:00.003Z

My previous Lush DIY post is the second most popular post on my blog (despite only having one comment, speak up everyone - I'd love to know who tried the recipe, on who used a different massage bar!) - so I thought it was time that I did another one.

I decided to try something a little new this time, as my previous Jungle and Once A Year recipe could be easily adapted to most massage bars. My skin is so dry at this time of the year that I struggle to find a lotion that's moisturising enough - so when soaking in my bath I spotted the pitiful remains of my of my favourite Lush products, You Snap The Whip body butter, and started to ponder on what sort of lotion it would make.

To make You Snap The Whip body lotion you need:

1 Lush black pot

1/4 You Snap The Whip (approx)

1 lollipop stick/spoon

1 x unscented body lotion (I used an unscented Vaseline Intensive Rescue moisture lotion)

1. Quarter the YSTW bar, and then chop the quarter into small pieces (the aim is that they will melt easily, so the smaller the better).
2. Put the chopped YSTW into a Lush black pot (the type you get fresh face masks in) and put in the microwave on a high heat for about 60 seconds.
3. Add body lotion to almost the top of the pot and stir, stir, stir! (stirring is really important, it helps to make a smooth, non-oily lotion).
5. Voila! You now have a super moisturising YSTW-scented lotion.

It's worth noting that this lotion will feel a little bit gritty on the skin to begin with - but sinks in really quickly, leaving you with gorgeous silky, sweet-smelling skin.

What Lush DIY would you like to see next? Are you going to try and make this one?

The Sketchbook Project 2012: Update

2012-02-09T14:47:00.000Z

Unfortunately my camera has been behaving strangely since Christmas, so I couldn't keep the blog updated with progress shots - however my submission for the Sketchbook Project 2012 was posted out into the world on 31st January. Here are some shots of the pages (sadly not great photography - as I'm still not confident my camera is working up to scratch!).

This Is Me

2012-01-31T00:53:00.001Z

Hopefully soon I'll be better, and able to write a legible blog entry. Until then, I am hiding under my duvet with a pot of tea and music by PJ Harvey.

Castle Tioram

2012-01-25T15:07:00.000Z

I'm a big fan of urban exploration, I love delving into photographs of abandoned buildings and seeing the small details that have been left behind. Unfortunately chronic fatigue is not the most compatible illness with crawling, climbing and potentially running. So, when a chance for a bit of light urbex came up, I snapped it up.

Castle Tioram is a ruined castle atop a tidal island, and is dated from the 13th century, but the souvenirs left behind now are from the 20th Century, most likely from restoration work in 2000.

Tokyo in Snow

2012-01-23T17:27:00.000Z

One of the things I absolutely love about good photography is how it can transform the mundane into something incredibly beautiful. Snow is also like that - there's something so magical about big, soft flakes drifting down in a black sky.

So, imagine how delighted I was to see these pictures:

These images blend three of my favourite things - Japan, snow and good photography. They make me yearn for Tokyo, quiet night time train stations and snow.

Come on Britain, where's our snow?

All images are from Oh my! Tokyo and you can see more of them: here.

Lena White OPI Sale

2012-01-14T10:00:00.001Z

Lena White is currently having a sale, offering a massive amount of OPI nail laquer for £5 per bottle.

I've never tried OPI nail products before, as the £10 price tag usually seems a little bit steep for me, particularly when Models Own produce such good quality polish at half the price.

However at a reduced price, it seemed like too much of a good deal to pass up.

I treated myself to five bottles of polish (please excuse the board underneath the bottles - it's my drawing board!)

L-R - Planks A Lot, Mermaid's Tears, Rally Pretty Pink, Excuse Moi, Servin' Up Sparkle

I can't wait to try them out, and see if all of the hype about OPI is worthy. I absolutely adore the colours (and wish that I'd ordered more!), so I hope they apply well.

I think I have a minor nail polish fetish - this brings my grand total up to 50 bottles!

Bridlington

2012-01-13T15:51:00.001Z

Because my wedding was so close to Christmas, we decided to defer our proper honeymoon a little bit and instead enjoy a few days out closer to home as part of a mini-moon.

On New Years Eve, we braved the cold winds and headed to the East Yorkshire coast to play in amusement arcades, eat fish and chips, icecream sundaes and walk on the beach.

Happy Birthday Miyazaki-san

2012-01-06T00:53:00.001Z

Master of animation Hayao Miyazaki turns 71 today. Miyazaki, and in particular his work with Studio Ghibli have had such a huge impact on my life, it's hard to imagine how things would be without him. In honour of his birthday, I would like to talk about my first Studio Ghibli film, and what followed.

A while ago my husband Rob received an amazon voucher. We'd spent most of it and had around £7 left. We decided to buy a DVD. Rob wanted Ong Bak, but I caught sight of Spirited Away and vaguely remembered that I'd heard something about it, which was probably good. So I convinced Rob to change his mind.

We fell in love immediately. I'd never seen anything so magical, beautiful and epic. I couldn't wait to see more, and pretty soon Rob bought me Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle for Christmas. We watched Princess Mononoke on Christmas Day, and Howl's Moving Castle on New Year Eve after spending some time away from home, and a massive journey home on the motorway. And once again I was taken to an enchanted place.

In a short while we had not only collected every Miyazaki film, but every Studio Ghibli film, and I was obsessively searching the internet for more information about the Studio. I soon found out about the Studio Ghibli Museum, and I desperately wanted to go. When I mentioned it to Rob, he simply replied, "let's go then.". And that's how I found myself in 2008, sitting on a plane, heading to Tokyo.

And the rest is history. I have so much to thank Miyazaki-san for. Not only his beautiful, and consistently awe-inspiring filmwork, but my love for Japan, animation, manga...and so much more.

Thank you. And happy birthday Miyazaki-san.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2012-01-05T02:10:00.001Z

2011 was a pretty big year for me. I'm been considering doing a summary of my year, but some of it has been a little dull. Still, something in me is itching to conclude the year, so for posterity - here it is.

January saw the launch of Ohayou Tokyo, the informal travel guide that I set up with my (then) boyfriend Rob. In February I spent most of my time studying, but did it all wearing my super-stylish red panda kigu, found the time to bake Rob a mameshiba cake for Valentine's Day. March was lost to the Sims Medieval. In April I volunteered at a local kennel and cattery, and spent most of my time scooping poop and walking dogs. May saw the return of a social life as university broke up for the year. I went on a brilliant boat trip to look for seabirds, found a local wildlife reserve and stayed in a holiday cottage in North Yorkshire. I also said goodbye to being a blonde, and cracked glitter-filled eggs over Rob's head. I watched a lot of films in June before heading off to Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland for a nice, long break, I also hunted for koalas at Edinburgh zoo and water voles back home in East Yorkshire. July saw the loss of a great rabbitfriend, but the introduction of a new catfriend, I also relaunched catface&pancakes, booked my wedding and was overwhelmed when amazing friends did a quick whip-round to raise money for my wedding dress. I also took a job, raising funds for a charity. I watched more films in August and was eventually diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after being ill for years. September was a month for home adventures, including sleeping in Rob's parents shed, with the doors open listening to the rain, and some home pasty cooking. I also began to suspect I had an unhealthy obsession with animal hats and took a job reviewing TV programmes for NHK. In October I started logging the films I was watching, reminisced about past cats and rabbits, and had a profile picture drawn for me by Orange The Feed. November was a time to talk about books, do some Lush DIY and prepare for my wedding. December was all about the wedding.

2012 Resolutions

I'm not generally one for resolutions, but 2012 feels a bit like a fresh start - so I'd like to try.

Blog more personally - I've always wanted to talk more about the things I do, but feel a bit shy about my sub-par photography. I want to overlook that this year and try to talk more about my life.
Read 75 books - I read quite fast, and I absolutely devour books. I want to keep it up this year, but be more focussed and log them in my Moleskeine Passions journal.
Be more open-minded with films - I've limited myself to only watching films I REALLY want to in the past, and I want to overcome that and start watching new genres (and more black & white).
Become more focussed - I'm naturally a bit scatterbrained, and I want to try and rein that in a little bit as I approach my final uni year and dissertation.
Relax - because sometimes I find it hard.

Curse Of The Golden Flower

2012-01-04T17:17:00.002Z

I'm a massive fan of world cinema, and in particular East Asian films. Curse of the Golden Flower is one of my absolute favourites, and I just wanted to share some especially lovely stills from it with you.

Paul & Joe Beaute: Kitty Kisses

2012-01-03T19:34:00.000Z

I've fallen hard in love with Paul & Joe's gorgeous lipstick cats, but I can't quite imagine that I would ever use them. I'd be upset about slowly smushing away the catfaces.

It seems that Paul & Joe have cottoned onto the fact that slushy kitty-lovers like me just can't quite bring ourselves to use the lipsticks, so have released a much more usable shaped lipstick (however they have also changed the outer packaging - which isn't as nice as previously in my opinion).

You can buy the lipstick, and other items from the make-up range, including a super kawaii cat-shaped eyeshadow at ASOS.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T01:18:00.001Z

Hmm, I'm sure something exciting happened on Christmas Eve...what was it...oh yes! I got married.

After months of planning, stressing, bouncing with excitement the day finally arrived. It's strange that something that took so much plotting and arranging can pass so quickly. I was so nervous and excited that I can barely remember anything until getting home. The ceremony seemed to skim me by in a haze of nerves, but I remember a whirl of romance and friendship with some of my favourite people. And thankfully, I have some lovely pictures to remind me.

Songs I've Carried With Me

2011-12-22T10:32:00.001Z

With just two days to go until I'm married I think I'm allowed some degree of nostalgia over people, and more importantly, the music that people have introduced to me in the past. I think that sound is one the most important senses, and the right song can send me back years, so here are a few songs that people from my past have 'given' to me.

Four Seasons in One Day by Crowded House
I'm convinced my parents were never cool. While other parents championed Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Joni Mitchell, my mum liked Westlife, Robbie Williams and later, Mika. I did not grow up in a musically diverse (or cool) household. But my mum did pass along a love for Crowded House that I will be forever grateful for. From the actual CD to seeing a Spanish cover band performing their hits, Crowded House were one of my early music loves and one that remains.

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
If my mum's music collection is uncool, I don't even know the word to describe my dad's. To give you some idea the last two CDs he bought were: Kings of the Road: a Collection of 20 Great Trucking Songs and
18 Wheels Rollin: Trucking Songs. My dad is not, and never was a trucker. So it's strange to me that he should be the person to introduce me to Kate Bush, one of my longstanding musical loves. He gave me a 45 of this song when my age was still in single digits, and I played it until it wouldn't play anymore (and sometimes still do).

Suffocate by King Adora
I can't quite pinpoint the first time I heard King Adora, but I do know that the reason I heard them was my friend Jenna. I'd never heard such raw, passionate music in my tender teens (growing up with the Spice Girls and East 17), I didn't know anything about the band, but I immediately bought the album, and I can't count the times I've played the song Suffocate. It's not slick, or polished but the song speaks for itself and I remember with a deep fondness the way we followed by band around the country enjoying both onstage and backstage antics. But no more of that....;)

Pancake by Tori Amos
James was my first real boyfriend. He was certainly the first boy I'd ever stayed the night with, long hot, sometimes suffocating nights in his slightly shabby student accommodation. I remember him recommending Tori Amos to me, only to finish by saying "but you probably wouldn't like her though, she's not for everyone."
But I was resilient, and eager to please, so I bought her CD. And I loved it. I Can't See New York reminds me of him, but I much prefer the darker, more Tori-esque Pancake. And I now own all of her CDs, she may not be for everyone, but she's definitely for me.

Blindfold by Morcheeba
I was really young when I moved out of my parents house. I moved in to a one bedroom flat with a colleague I'd only worked with for about a month. I slept on a sofa bed in the living room, and I became adopted into her world of clubbing and drinking. Late nights were full of undefinable, undistinguishable house music, but the lazy, hungover, almost lost days were spent huddled under my duvet, playing cards, smoking, drinking tea and Morcheeba. The music relaxes me instantly, and I often think of my friend when I listen to them.

Black Cherry by Goldfrapp
This is an incredibly strange one. I once was given a lift by a sort-of friend. The sort-of friend played me Goldfrapp, and I insisted that she played this song again. I'm almost certain the sort-of friend won't remember the car journey, or possibly even me. But the most beautiful, strange music I'd ever heard stuck with me, and I can remember almost every minute of that journey. It's for something to have such a big impact on your life, when you know it barely even leaves an impression on others. But thank you Jem. Thank you for Goldfrapp.

Ten Year Night by The Alice Band
To all intents and purposes my ex had a terrible taste in music, full of American angsty rock. So I was surprised when I was given this CD. Granted, the other songs are just average. But this song is so beautiful it can stop you in your tracks. I long since removed all of the other songs from my iTunes, but this one currently holds the title of most played. It's beautiful, and so evocative of the place I was in. A place I'd never go back to, but I'm glad I was there.

Stolen Car by Beth Orton
In the very early stages of my relationship with Rob, I would often go around to his house and we would sit for hours drinking beer, listening to music and chatting. We listened to many songs, and occasionally Rob would play his guitar. The song I remember most clearly is this one. I remember being enchanted by the line: "you were sitting, your fingers like fuses, your eyes were cinnamon." and I remember the most beautiful voice.

Let Go by Frou Frou
Before I 'properly' got into a relationship with Rob, I worked in a pub behind the bar. I made really good friends with one of my fellow bar staff and one day she brought in a CD for me called Charlie's Chick Rock. There were a few hits and a few misses on there, but one song had me so entranced I played it over and over again. I discovered Frou Frou. I searched out more music, and fell more in love with it. And although I don't still have the friend, I still have all of my Frou Frou CDs, and the CD that started it all, and I think of Charlie, and the hot summers I spent behind the bar whenever I listen to them.

Voices by Dario Gand
I'm not sure who to attribute this song to. I first heard it on The Beach. You know, the film with Leonardo Di Caprio? And then later when I bought the soundtrack (just for the Faithless track - Woozy). I stuck the song on iPod and forgot about it. Until I travelled alone to Thailand. My heart was a bit emotionally poorly and fragile, and I was feeling tired and sick after a six hour minivan journey, but then this song came on my iPod, and we turned a corner on the dusty road and I was surrounded by mountains, and lush forests. It was the perfect song, for the perfect view.

I have many more songs that evoke times, places and people, but I didn't want to overshare. So maybe there'll be a part two. How about you? Which songs are precious to you?

Sorry

2011-12-16T11:54:00.003Z

..for the silence. I'm getting married on Christmas Eve and I'm so incredibly busy it's making my head spin.

The Film List | Week Ten

2011-12-10T23:59:00.005Z

The Film List | Week Nine

2011-12-03T23:59:00.005Z

Black Cats

2011-11-29T16:28:00.000Z

As the proud owner of a black cat, I find it incredibly hard to wrap my head around the fact that black cats, along with black & white cats are often seen as undesirable, and are usually the ones that are forgotten about in rehoming centres.

There are many different theories as to why black cats seem to be looked over.

Many believe it's because of the connotations that black cats have had with magic and witchcraft in the past. In the Middle Ages black cats were burned due to their supposed supernatural powers.

It also seems to confuse a lot of people whether crossing paths with a black cat is considered good luck , or bad luck. I think Groucho Marx sums this up best:

"A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere" - Groucho Marx

Another suggestion is that black cats are seen as plain or boring compared to tabbies, tortoiseshells and their other coloured counterparts. However, surely a cat should be chosen on its personality rather than looks.

People seem to forget that cats, just like humans, have individual personalities, so while one black cat might live for sitting on knees and being hugged, while another might be incredibly playful and prefer to tear around the house. To ensure the best fit of cat and human personality should be considered rather than aesthetic qualities.

Rehoming shelters also find that photographing black cats is much more difficult than coloured cats. This could be due to the fact that they don't stand out on dark coloured backgrounds,

However in a 2003 copy of New Scientist scientists discovered that the melanistic gene, that makes the fur black, may be able to prevent certain viruses or bacteria from entering their cells, making them more resistant to disease than cats with lighter-colored coats.

A lot of rehoming shelters are now pioneering the Black Cat month scheme, which focusing on the adoption of dark-coloured felines.

What do you think? Would you be less likely to adopt a cat because of colour?

The Film List | Week Eight

2011-11-26T23:44:00.006Z

Birthday Wishlist

2011-11-26T14:09:00.000Z

It's my 26th birthday is just 10 days.

I'm hyper-excited, and already making plans to visit the Christmas Adventure, and go and pick out a Christmas tree!

Here are a few things that would make me smile as I unwrap them.

From left-right:

1. Topshop polar bear ring
2. Topshop cat slippers
3. Lush My Fair Lady gift box
4. Stone and Honey opal aura quartz necklace
5. Mark Carwardine's Ultimate Wildlife Experiences
6. Momiji Book Club Enid
7. Topshop polar bear jumper
8. Maqaroon Street Style Alphabet print
9. Superhead Golden Half camera

Maqaroon

2011-11-24T09:31:00.002Z

Joanna Zhou is one of my favourite manga artists. I've been following her career since I discovered her work with Sweatdrop Studios. I absolutely love her mini-mangas Carlos & Sakura and Harajuku Zoo.

I'm also a big fan of the Momji dolls that she created, and have a collection of them sitting on a shelf in my living room, I love her kawaii style!

So, I'm thrilled to discover her new venture - Maqaroon!

Maqaroon is a brilliant fusion of kawaii and street style, creating sweet little chibi-style characters in various worldwide fashions.

My favourite characters are:

Otaku Fox

Ibiza Kitty

Kigurumin Hamster

You can buy her cute little characters in a range of ways, stickers, prints and postcards.

Joanna even does blogger portraits! I'd love a portrait of my own, red panda kigurumi and all!

Lush DIY

2011-11-23T15:39:00.001Z

It's no secret I'm a massive fan of Lush cosmetics, and I'm always interested in learning new, innovative ways to use them. So when I heard that solid massage bars could be made into body lotion, I was pretty excited.

Sometimes a massage bar just isn't a viable option, and it's easier to use lotion. And I was also curious to see if non-body products could be made into lotion.

Jungle is one of my favourite Lush scents, but I just can't get to grips with the solid conditioner. So, I decided to body-lotion-ify it.

To make a Jungle body lotion you need:

1 x Lush black pot
1/2 of Jungle
1 x lollipop stick/spoon
1 x unscented body lotion (I used an unscented Vaseline Intensive Rescue moisture lotion)

1. Halve the Jungle bar, and then chop half into small pieces (the aims is that they will melt easily, so the smaller the better).
2. Put the chopped Jungle into a Lush black pot (the type you get fresh face masks in) and put in the microwave on a high heat for about 60 seconds.
3. Add body lotion to almost the top of the pot and stir, stir, stir! (stirring is really important, it helps to make a smooth, non-oily lotion).
5. Voila! You now have a Jungle-scented lotion.

I did the same for the Once A Year massage bar, and it made a beautiful, thick, even glittery lotion.

What Lush products would you like to see in lotion form? Are you going to try and make them?

Do I...

2011-11-22T21:37:00.003Z

Dexter is available to adopt from RSPCA Hull.

...talk about animals enough?

I'm currently studying towards a degree in Animal Management & Behaviour, so it goes without saying that animals are a massive part of my life, and I love nattering about them.

But I'm also concious about the fact that this began as a craft/art/fashion blog. So I don't want to blog about things that are of no interest.

But, that said, I've always blogged about things I've wanted to chat about, not about what is going to get me the most readers/comments.

There are tons of animals stories, campaigns and general tidbits that I could share. But is here the place to do it?
I'm so confused!

The Film List | Week Seven

2011-11-19T14:14:00.003Z

nekomentsu Wordcloud

2011-11-16T13:31:00.000Z

Inspired (as ever) by the lovely Mizhenka, this is a beautiful wordcloud representing topics I discuss on nekomentsu.

You can get your own here: http://www.tagxedo.com

Anthropologie Christmas

2011-11-15T13:08:00.000Z

Anthropologie make some of the absolute best (and strangest) Christmas decorations I've ever seen.

Who could resist a Christmas armadillo?

You can browse the full collection here: http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/christmas/icat/forchristmas/

My Favourite Japanese Books

2011-11-14T13:03:00.000Z

I'm a huge fan of Japanese books in general, I have an entire bookcase dedicated to Japanese novels, manga, Studio Ghibli books, Japanese craft and other bits and pieces.

I'm hoping in the future to do a blog post about my Studio Ghibli books as I believe some of the books I have are quite rare, and only available from the Studio Ghibli Museum bookshop.

But today I want to focus on some of my favourite Japanese books, some of which are by non-Japanese authors but still focus on Japan as a subject.

A Year In Japan by Kate T. Williamson

Kate Williamson's book is full of gorgeous watercolours accompanied by short anecdotes about her time spent in the country. There is something so quintessentially Japanese about her softly shaded illustrations and observations about the lesser-known aspects of Japan.

Some Prefer Nettles by Junichiro Tanizaki

Ancient and modern cultures clash in Junichiro Taniaki's 1929 novel following a disintergrating love affair between husband and wife, with lovely digressions on Japanese traditions and Western culture. The book is beautifully written and the culture clash is never clumsy, but still resonant today.

Mokona's Okimono Kimono by CLAMP

Mokono of the manga collective CLAMP shares illustrations, photographs and observations about the kimono. The book is worth owning for the lovely modern kimono that Mokono designs and makes, but the book also has sections on traditional kimono, how to accessorise a kimono and also snippets of Japanese culture.

Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda

Following the success of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha an absolute influx of books about geisha hit bookshops, this is one of the better ones. Sayo Masuda's story follows a rural geisha and explores the hardships and struggles with none of the gloss of Golden's book leading to a heartwrenching and frank tale.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon

A fascinating account of Heian life written by a court gentlewoman for her own amusement. The book is a collection of anecdotes and essays about the daily life of a Japanese court. With wit and skill Shonagon manages to turn short snippets about flutes, clothing dye and disobedient dogs into interesting tales that offer an insight into her world.

The Book of Loss by Julith Jedamus

Julith Jedamus' lavish novel explores Heian life from the court of the imperial palace in Kyoto. Jedamus' book follows in the tracks of Japanese classics by using a unsympathetic and at times unreliable main character. The book offers observations of the Heian court as well as tracing an unconventional love story.

Looking for the Lost by Alan Booth

Alan Booth's travel memoir offers a view of Japan not normally offered. Booth eschews the more obvious destinations of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka to trek around the countryside. He explores mountains and villages following in the footsteps of ancient warriors. His observations are frank and sometimes unappealing, but with a large portion of natural charm and wit.

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami's books are all so well-crafted and inventive it is hard to choose just one. But Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is one of his best books in my opinion. His collection of short stories are odd, rich, sad, funny, wise...many things, but never mundane. He finds such magic in the everyday that it is hard not to feel charmed by his words.

Sanshiro by Natsumi Soseki

The Japanese classic is a coming-of-age tale following a recent college graduate as he begins university life in Tokyo. Humorous and poignant Soseki's words are as relevant today as when they were written in 1908. The book offers a study of first love and youth and tradition and modernisation.

Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata

Yasunari Kawabata's novel is beautifully written, focusing on the love affair between a Tokyo dilettante and a rural geisha. The book is strangely moving, despite the innate selfishness of the main character, and offers a beautiful view of the constraints of love in traditional Japan.

I hope you enjoyed my list, and even more I hope that you will go away and read the books on it.

The Film List | Week Six

2011-11-12T23:59:00.004Z

Lush Forum Perfume

2011-11-12T22:23:00.001Z

I'm a member of the Lush forum, and on Thursday they had a perfume-themed forum party.

A forum party is usually a day filled with games, competitions and general hi-jinks, as well as exclusive products such as the Moon on a Stick bath ballistic and Fruity Beauty showergel.

However this time, Lush have done something a little different. They are offering the perfumes on their website until tomorrow evening. You can buy them here: https://phoenix.lush.co.uk/category/302

They have made some of my favourite scents including:

Twilight
The lavender and malt fragrance in our Twilight ballistic has proved to be incredibly popular since it launched last year, and received the most number of votes in our forum fragrance poll. It’s a floral scent that’s relaxing, sensual and quite unique. Wear it to express your individuality in an understated and sophisticated way.

Rose Jam
We’ve had some wonderful new creations this year, but the beautiful fragrance used in our Rose Jam bubbleroon and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner has been voted by the forum as the very best of 2011. The Rose Jam fragrance is light, fresh and modern, with a hint of lemon and sexy geranium oil.

Yuzu & Cocoa
If you’re after a perfume to make you smell good enough to eat, then this is the one! Yuzu is a kind of Japanese mandarin, with a light, fruity fragrance which we’ve recreated here using citrus oils of grapefruit and bergamot. We’ve mixed that with sweet tonka bean to make a delicious perfume that smells like chewy orange sweeties. Mmmmm.

Silky Underwear
The soft powdery jasmine fragrance you’ll find in Silky Underwear dusting powder, Fairy Jasmine ballistic and Alkmaar soap makes a fantastic perfume to spray onto the skin. It’s subtle and comforting, but has a sexy heart that’ll turn heads wherever you go.

American Cream
This nearly didn’t make the list, but Mark C had so many special requests for an American Cream perfume that he decided to sneak it in as an extra! We’re really glad he did, because this strawberries-and-cream scent is just gorgeous when worn as a perfume. It smells delicious of course, but there’s a complexity to American Cream that transforms the vanilla milkshake aroma from scrummy to sexy. It’s one of those perfumes that inspires instant devotion.

Snowshowers
With sweet orange, lime and cognac oils, Snowshowers is the perfume to wear when you want to PAAARTAY!!! You’ll find this fruity fragrance in our Celebrate lip tint and new Golden Wonder ballistic.

Olive Branch
The perfume in The Olive Branch shower gel was originally developed as a fine fragrance, so it’s no wonder the customers on our forum vote for it to be made in their fragrance parties almost every year. It’s a warm, sunny scent of mandarin, bergamot, lemon and orange flower that transports you to Mediterranean isle even in the depths of winter.

I bought the Twilight perfume, and I'm very impressed. It's lovely and sweet but without being overpowering. Will you be added one to your collection?

Covered in Stitches

2011-11-07T11:57:00.000Z

I sometimes feel that I'm a bit of a frustrated crafter. I have so many ideas about what I want to do, but feel that I lack the skills to carry it out.

Embroidery is one of the skills that has so far escaped me. I can never seem to choose the right stitches or material. Which may be why I'm so utterly gobsmacked at some of the entries for Covered In Stitches Feeling Stitchy competition.

The Feeling Stitchy competition asked that people recreate their favourite book covers, here are some of my favourites.

by: ohrae

by: PPPkayla

by: SpidersPaw

by: sshauna

by: Lisa Leggett

by: Embellisher

You can see more designs and detail pictures of the ones featured here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1723546@N25/pool/

The Film List | Week Five

2011-11-05T23:59:00.008Z

The Film List | Week Four

2011-10-29T23:59:00.011+01:00

This Halloween, Don't Be A Slut

2011-10-29T22:34:00.000+01:00

Why is it that for Halloween men get to be caped crusaders, werewolves, zombies and loads of other cool shit, while women get to be slutty bunny girls, slutty cheerleaders, slutty zombies...yes girls. That's right. You can still be a slut even if you're dead and rotting.

I suggest we start saying no to this.

No Tara Reid. We will not be a slutty Barbie.

No Mariah, we will not be a slutty firefighter.

Take a leaf out of the fabulous Heidi Klum's book. Go scary, not slutty. She looks brilliant as Kali.

...and equally as awesome as a transformer.

I suggest visiting Take Back Halloween and get inspiration for notable, strong and utterly fabulous women. And not a sniff of slut. Why not be...

Greek goddess Demeter?

Egyptian goddess Isis?

Whatever you dress as, enjoy your Halloween!

The Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-10-26T11:21:00.001+01:00

I've recently signed up to take part in the sketchbook project.

Basically you sign up, chose a theme (I've picked It's Winter Where You Are) and then you're sent a sketchbook. You have until the 31st January to fill in the book and send it back.

The sketchbooks then join a international tour, before entering the permanent collection at The Brooklyn Art Library.

Each book has it's own individual barcode, so you receive a notification everytime the book is viewed!

I'm very excited to be part of such an exciting project, is anyone else participating?

Here are some amazing spreads from other artists:

From: Saylor Made

From: Belknits

From: Cassy Wykes

From: TealStripes

The Film List | Week Three

2011-10-22T23:59:00.012+01:00

Silencio

2011-10-22T15:39:00.001+01:00

Hidden six flights below ground level at 142 rue Montmartre in Paris, David Lynch has created a real-life version of the eerie cabaret from his film Mulholland Drive.

In a curved network of basement rooms you can follow glittering gold corridors to an art deco cinema, reflective dance floor, a Fire Walk With Me-style stage, and a 50s art library featuring a selection of the director’s most treasured books.

Whether it has the suffocating magic of the film Silencio remains to be seen, but it's jumped to the top of my must-do places. How about you?

Find out more at Nowness.

Lush Favourites Part II

2011-10-20T17:55:00.002+01:00

Sweet and Shower

A few months ago Lush ran a campaign raising funds for the UK Tar Sands Network who campaign to stop oil damaging the environment and nature, to help the cause they released a beautiful molassy hair and body wash. This product not only makes my hair smell delicious, but it also makes it soft, well-conditioned and big (but not frizzy)! I will be devastated when I run out.

Fox in the Flowers

Fox in the Flowers sat in retro for a long time before I decided to try one. When I did, I fell in love. A soft green, fresh smell filled the air. Flower petals drifted around me, and my skin became soft and smooth. I fell in love too late, Lush have recently announced that the majority of retro is being discontinued, included FITF.

Gavarnie Soap

Gavarnie is the soap love of my life. Matched with Fox in the Flowers it leaves a beautiful grassy, green smell lingering on my skin. The leaves and flowers on the top gently scrub the skin leaving it feeling fresh and new. Sadly, Gavarnie was discontinued a long time ago and is pretty hard to get hold of.

Rose Jam

Rose Jam is one of Lush's new products, it smells like walking in a fresh field of roses rather than 'old lady' rose smell. It turns the water a beautiful pink colours and the scent lingers on my skin for hours afterwards.

You Snap The Whip

I absolutely adore the blackcurranty smell of You Snap The Whip, it layers up really well with The Comforter. Not only does it smell delicious it scrubs away dirt, dead skin (and also hangovers!) leaving your skin feeling fresh and new.

Rabbits I Have Loved

2011-10-19T11:59:00.000+01:00

Following my Cats I Have Loved post, it felt somewhat cruel to neglect my beloved rabbits. They have been a huge part of my life for a long time, and it was rabbit that became my first ever non-family pet.

My first ever rabbit was a huge black buck called Mr Blobby. My family refused to accept this as his name and suggested Albert, Thumper, Floppy and many more. But Mr Blobby he would remain. He was very big, loving and not so clever. He loved to be hugged and was the first ever pet I had to take care of myself.

Britney (bottom right) became my pet under very strange circumstances. I was trying to break up with an ex, but my ex wasn't taking it lying down. I was presented with a tiny, golden rabbit in a cardboard box on the bus. I named her Britney Ears. I fell in love with her clever brown eyes and white tummy. I grew worried about a small lump growing on Britney's belly one day and took her to the vets. It turned out that Britney was actually a boy. He'd been Britney for so long I decided to keep the name. Britney moved with me when I fell in love with the boy next door and moved in with him, becoming our first ever pet. He's very soft and loving towards me, and fiercely protective.

Fliss (top right) joined our family after we visited a local garden centre and fell in love with the tiny, runty rabbit in the corner pen. She matured into a beautiful, plump doe. Hugely greedy and lively Fliss is our most energetic rabbit, and enjoys sitting on my shoulder and snuggling. She also likes to snuggle up to her hutchmate...

...Felix (bottom left) is the child of Britney and Fliss. Fliss gave birth during the night, but sadly one of the kittens was born outside of the next. I woke in the morning to find a cold little body pressed against the wire of the hutch. I rubbed the body between my hands, and it moved. It was still alive! Tiny and squirming I placed the kitten back into the nest with it's siblings and hoped for the best. Sadly the baby rabbits became ill and we lost all but one of them. The one that was out of the nest. The vet told us that because he'd been born last he'd retained immunity that the others had lost. We named him Felix, which means lucky.

Star (top left) was the last to join our family, and sadly the first to leave. We adopted her from a local rabbit rescue. She'd been abandoned on their doorstep with her siblings when they became too big to be deemed cute by a petshop. Quiet, elegant and loving she fitted into our family quickly. The most delicate of our rabbits became very ill after living with us for a year. I went to check on her one morning and found her head almost twisted backwards. A vet diagnosed her with wryneck, caused by a brain parasite, research indicated that euthanasia was normally the correct way to proceed. But I didn't want that. I nursed her back to health, syringe feeding her water every two hours, medicine twice a day and neck massages. She slowly recovered and became a happy, healthy rabbit again. But then a few months ago she got very ill. There was nothing we could do for her, so I held her in my arms as she slowly slipped away. I put her back in her hutch for the last few moments and she left us quietly and gently, just as she'd lived.

The Film List | Week Two

2011-10-15T23:59:00.016+01:00

Cats I Have Loved

2011-10-14T13:15:00.001+01:00

Hot on the heels of Mizhenka I bring you a cat post.

Unlike steadfast, loyal dogs I've found that cats drift in and out of my life for various reasons. Like mini, furry hobos they come, wrap themselves around my heart, and then disappear. I think I identify with the wanderlust of cats, and that's why I'll always choose a cat over a dog. Here are some cats still purring in my heart.

Mickey, was the first cat I remember loving. I remember him arriving at our house, small, raggy and frightened curled in my neighbours arms. He'd been bundled in a black bin bag and thrown into the road in front of my neighbours car and due to a big black labrador named Rufus they couldn't keep him. He found a home with us, and grew into a big black friendly tomcat. I don't remember what happened to him, but he lived many happy years with us before disappearing from my life.

Jess replaced him. My parents took me to the local Cats Protection and I quickly fell in love with the plucky black and white kitten climbing up the curtains. My parents tried to sway my affection towards a sedate black cat called Skipper. But they soon gave up and Jess came home with us. Wild and fiercely loving, he would bite you hard and then lick it better. He would never be handled by anyone but me. Jess went roaming outside one day to never return, probably to my parents relief.

Indy (bottom right) joined our household after Jess. A small, loving bundle of fluff, Indy was everyone's friend. He was mischevious and adventurous, deciding to live on top of the fridge when Paddy the dog joined our household. Indy never roamed for long, so when he disappeared one day we were all really worried. He came home, weak, thin, and ill. He'd been poisoned, but fought his way home to die in our garden.

After that there were no more cats in my families household, until I grew up and made a home of my own. After a few catless years, I convinced my boyfriend to open our doors to a cat.

Jiji (top right) was originally named Tipsey by the shelter we rescued her from. She'd been hit around the head and abandoned in a telephone box with her kittens at the age of 1. We fell in love with her big green eyes, and tiny body. She came home with us and because of her fear of the outdoors became a housecat. She has terrible balance, and can't retract her claws. She chirrups when stroked and dribbles when cuddled.

Gremlin (top left) I met in Thailand when I volunteered at a dog and cat shelter. He was the first cat I met there. Tiny, with hair that stood on end and a bellowing meow. I fell in love instantly. He left the catpen after a few days and moved into my room. Highly affectionate he would climb into my arms and sleep. I often woke with him nibbling my ears or nose. I prepared to break the news to my boyfriend that a small, slightly smelly, kitten was going to be joining me on the flight home. But sadly it wasn't to be. Gremlin was attacked by a dog while in quarrantine and would never find a home with me, or anyone.

Heartbroken for the loss I couldn't entertain the idea of any other cat coming to join me, Rob and Jiji. But then I received a message.

A friend's cat had given birth, and they were stuggling finding homes for all of the kittens. I was taken to meet them, and once again my heart was swept away by a small, ginger kitten with a pink nose.

Arthur (bottom left). The smallest kitten, he couldn't keep up with the playfighting with his brothers. He had tiny pink pawpads and wide-set eyes. He came home with me. In his slee he twitches, and if you touch him he meows silently. He's perpetually smelly, but so full of affection. He licks my nose, face, ears. He cuddles around me watching TV, he sleeps curled in my arms. He reminds me of Gremlin.

Halloween Nymph

2011-10-13T13:46:00.000+01:00

I'm not quite sure what my Halloween plans are at the moment, but you can be sure if I go trick or treating I'll be using Yuliya Gorbachenko's beautiful nymph-like make-up shoot as inspiration.

Imagine a headdress of leaves and twigs, a golden robe and a face like this:

Beautiful. I always enjoy make-up when it's used as an artform, and I don't think I've ever seen any as lovely as this.

The Film List | Week One

2011-10-08T23:00:00.002+01:00

Inspired by the lovely Oh My Clumsy Heart I have decided to keep a weekly film list. I watch a lot of films in a week, so it would be great to keep up with them for fun and posterity!

Animal Hats

2011-09-28T17:09:00.001+01:00

A few months ago I was reading Oh Comely magazine, and saw a little business called Merrimaking.

Merrimaking make absolutely beautiful furry animal hoods, like this.

I fell in love instantly. Fastforward a few months, add student finance and I now have a lovely bear hood, with reclaimed patterned fabric lining sitting on my head.

Revelling in my joyful furry hood it occurs to me that I have a rather large collection of animal hats, jewellery and clothing. Do you have a large number of anything? Was itt unexpected?

A-Z

2011-09-25T23:26:00.000+01:00

Let's get to know each other...

A. Age: 25
B. Bed size: Double
C. Chore that you hate: Hoovering, with two cats and a boyfriend it seems like a futile exercise...
D. Dogs: Are really interesting to watch in groups.
E. Essential start to your day: A big, hot cup of tea. In a Disney mug usually...and almost always accompanied by Lauren Laverne on 6Music.
F. Favorite colour: Purple
G. Gold or Silver: Silver or while gold for 'real' jewellery, but for costume I favour gold lately.
H. Height: 5'6, but because of a curved spine I'm shrinking.
I. Instruments you play: I can play the radio pretty good, other than that...I can play Greensleeves on the piano.
J. Job title: Student, I'm studying animal management and behaviour.
K. Kids: No. Only furry ones. By this I mean pets obviously, not vestigial hairy babies.
L. Live: East Yorkshire, wishing for foreign lands.
M. Mother's name: Deborah.
N. Nicknames: Catface, Loui, Professor Niceface...hehe.
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I was very small. I had to have a bellybutton constructed.
P. Pet peeves: Grammar and spelling. Although I am oblivious to my own spelling and grammar errors.
Q. Quote from a movie: Hey Lazerlips, your mother was a snowblower.
R. Right or left handed: Left, but I can do most things with either.
S. Siblings: A brother
T. Time you wake up: Between 7.30am and 9.30am depending on if I am at university.
U. Underwear: I wear it. Always.
V. Vegetable you hate: Okra, it tastes like phlegm.
W. What makes you run late: A small ginger kitten usually.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, I hate it. It always makes me gag.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Generally buns and cakes. I'm told I make a killer lasagne though.
Z. Zoo animal: Pandas, for both cute and conservation factors.

I'd love to see other people's versions of these. If you've done one let me know!

Sandra Dieckmann

2011-09-12T22:06:00.000+01:00

Back in February I posted about Sandra Dieckmann and Jamie Mills' collaborative project Endangered Animals.

I've been in love with her work ever since. I absolutely adore animals and art. So the two mixed together is always going to be a winner for me. But Sandra adds in a sense of fantasy and colour to her illustrations that set them far ahead of others.

You can see more of Sandra's work here: http://sandradieckmann.com, or you can follow my lead and purchase her prints here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandraDieckmann.

Streets Of Japan

2011-09-10T19:15:00.001+01:00

Streets Of Japan makes my heart hunger for Japan more than ever. I love how buildings stand higgeldy piggeldy next to each other, with telephone wires criss crossing alleys, and mini gardens sprouting from everywhere.

I think one of the things I love the most about Japan is the fact you can be in neon lights one moment and then slip into quiet, charming alleys the next. I find beauty in the most unlikely places in Japan.

catface&pancakes

2011-09-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

It seems I have ants in my pants lately with regards to website layouts. The more observant of you may have noticed that the blog has changed a little bit.

I've also refreshed my website catfaceandpancakes.co.uk.

I'm very excited by the new, clean feel to the website, and also there are some lovely new animals up for you to adopt. Why not take a peek and let me know what you think of it!

Kitagawa Natsumi

2011-09-08T12:57:00.001+01:00

Japanese artist Kitagawa Natsumi creates the most beautiful and whimsical pictures of cats, as well as many other magical, childlike creations. As you might be able to tell by the blog name*, I'm a huge cat fan!

See more of her enchanting work here: http://natsu-mikan.sakura.ne.jp

*nekomentsu, or ねこめんつ translates as catface.

Wanderlust: Muumimaailma

2011-09-06T12:47:00.000+01:00

As the weather starts to turn Autumnal, and the rain and wind rages outside my mind automatically starts to wander to farflung locations.

I've loved the Moomins for a long time, so I felt really excited seeing Oh My Clumsy Heart's gorgeous pictures of Muumimaailma.

Moominhouse is almost completely as I imagined it. Finland has always been at the top of my must-visit list, and with these gorgeous pictures, and others from the blog of Helsinki, Turku and local landmarks my itchy feet and a'itching again.

See more here.

Film Week

2011-08-29T22:32:00.001+01:00

To clear up some space on my Sky+, and also indulge in me and Mr Catface's love of films, we have decided to have a film week. We're going to be watching the films in the order they were recorded rather than being as picky as we normally are.

The films we'll be watching are...

Monday: A History of Violence

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core...read more.

Tuesday: The Sin Eater

A young priest is sent to Rome to investigate the troubling death of the head of his order...read more.

Wednesday: The Passion Of Darkly Noon

After the death of his strictly religious parents, forlorn young Darkly gets lost in the woods. A truck driver, Jude, rescues the exhausted man, who has only a bible for comfort...read more.

Thursday: The Fisher King

A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake...read more.

Friday: Bad Biology

Driven by biological excess, a young man and woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each other's existence...read more.

Saturday: The Fly

A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong...read more.

Sunday: Submarine

15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life...read more.

And the bonus film: Akira

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop...read more.

Lorenzo Duran

2011-08-05T12:59:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite bits of Autumn is wading through piles of leaves, and coming home smelling of that lovely damp leaf smell. Imagine if you could caspture that. Well Lorenzo Duran has done that and more.

Duran uses fragile leaves to create the more intricate, beautiful artwork. Each one is completely one-of-a-kind. I would love to have one of these whimsical, etheral pieces on my wall.

You can see more of his work here.

Welcome

2011-08-04T12:14:00.000+01:00

I have a new addition to my little family.

Meet Arthur Pickles.

Having a kitten in the house certainly keeps things interesting. It's kind of like having a small drunk person in your care. He brings me so much joy, I now can't imagine life without him!

catface&pancakes Relaunch

2011-07-31T11:11:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone, I've been so busy lately with a variety of things. Including a very cute meerkat commission, which is now finished!

But, in even bigger news! catface&pancakes has moved to: www.catfaceandpancakes.co.uk.

There are lots of lovely animals looking for new friends! Please tell me what you think of the website, it took me forever it make!

Macaque Self-Portraits

2011-07-05T13:12:00.000+01:00

The Daily Mail's story about some amusing macaques really caught my eye today.

Award-winning photography David Slater got a bit more than her bargained for when leaving his camera unattended in a national park in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. A group of inquisitive macaques swiped his camera, and snapped the following pictures.

This behaviours leads a lot into behaviour I studied during my principles of animal behaviour module. I find it really interesting that the first picture depicts a smiling macaque, which leads me to wondering if she's displaying the monkey smile - which is a sign of agression, which could be directed towards an unknown object ie. the camera, or if she is mimicing behaviour that she has seen displayed by humans.

Or who knows, maybe it's just a coincidence!

*I would like to end this post by stating that I do not read the Daily Mail, or it's online counterpart usually. But, I was amused enough by this article to share it with you. It's so much nicer than the usual doom and gloom spouted by the DM.

Goodbye

2011-07-04T20:14:00.001+01:00

My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today - Richard Adams

On Saturday afternoon, I lost my dear friend Star. I know you'll all appreciate how hard losing a pet is, so you'll understand why I avoid the details, but one saving grace is that she passed in no pain.

I rescued Star from a local charity, she had been abandoned on the doorstep of the charity along with some of her littermates. The owner of the charity presumes that she was surplus from a pet shop. At the age of one, they weren't cute sellable baby bunnies.

We took her home and quickly fell in love with the delicate, graceful and quiet rabbit. She was always elegant in mannerisms, and was always loving.

A few years after we adopted her she became very ill with a disease called wry neck. We received a lot of advice from friends, the internet and our vet. The general consensus was that the quickest and easiest option was euthanasia. As wry neck is caused by a brain parasite there was no guarantee she would recover.

However, I was willing to take the chance. I nursed her throughout day and night with medicine and neck massages. I also had to feed and water her through a syringe, as her head was so severely twisted she couldn't care for herself. The care paid off. Slowly but surely she began to get better, until eventually there was no visible twist to her head at all.

She lived a simple rabbit life, but brought so much joy to my life.

This is goodbye, but too soon.

Lina Forsgren

2011-07-03T17:32:00.000+01:00

Observant readers may have noticed that my blog has changed it's clothes.

This is in part due to Summer, and in part due to my discovery of the amazingly talented Lina Forsgren.

The beautiful typography that you can see in my header is created from her fabulous Friast typeface.

I feel incredibly honoured that such a talented artist has given me the permission to use her to work to beautify my blog.

Lina not only makes typefaces, but also creates imaginative and gorgeous illustration and graphic art.

Dreamy and whimsical work by a fabulous, and very kind lady. I think I may be Lina's new fangirl.

See more of Lina's work here.

A Moomin Way Of Life

2011-07-01T10:54:00.000+01:00

I'm currently in the midst of my Summer holidays. It seems that being a student does have some perks, one being the fact I can legitimately not do any work for a few months.

This, coupled with the fact I have just returned for a very relaxing holiday in the wilds of West Scotland, makes me feel incredibly lazy, which inevitably makes me feel bored.

So, I have decided to dedicate the next 2 and a bit months to living life like a Moomin*. I'm currently catching up on the Moomin series of books, and also watching the beautiful Polish 'fuzzy felt' version of the TV show for the first time.

I'm determined that instead of lounging around watching Jeremy Kyle and Hollyoaks, I'll be in the kitchen making Moominmamma's jam, or going on an adventure like Snufkin and Moomin.

There'll be home-baking, naps in the garden and unexpected parties.

Pancakes and jam are the order of the day, followed by a walk to a place I've never been before. Why not pack-up a lunch box and a bag (with Moominmamma's skill) and join me.

When life as a human feels to hard, live life as a Moomin!

*if you don't know what a Moomin is...shame on you.

Things I Intend To Do This Week

2011-06-20T23:20:00.001+01:00

...following my return from holidaying in beautiful Ardnamurchan .

1. catch up on blogs with a pot of tea and BBC6 radio.
2. look through my photographs and curse the fact I'm home.
3. snuggle in my red panda suit and read my two new Moomin books.
4. await my exam results.
5. sleep.

Why is the return always so hard?

Five Favourite Films

2011-06-01T14:10:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Mizhenka I have spent the last week racking my brains to try and pinpoint my five favourite films.

I always found the business of choosing favourites tough. I've tried many times to choose my favourite toys, books, musicians and films, and have always come to the conclusion that I change my mind too frequently to have favourites.

So, although not permanent, here is a list of my current five favourites.

1. Blade Runner (1982)
I love everything about Blade Runner, from the artwork to the soundtrack. I ever harbour a mild crush of Harrison Ford in all his brooding, arrogant glory. I read the book, it wasn't as good (I don't think I've ever said this before).

2. After Life (ワンダフルライフ) (1998)
I first watched After Life on the now defunct World Movies channel (I miss it so much). I found it to be a heartwarming, oddly cheerful film about death. I then spent the next year watching the price fluctuate between £30 and £80 on Amazon. It finally dropped to an affordable price last month, I bought it immediately.

3. Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) (1997)
Picking a favourite Studio Ghibli film is a bit like picking which toe you want to be hacked off (but a bit less messy). It's almost impossible. But for sheer magic (and a beautiful soundtrack) I'm pushed towards Mononoke (aka the film that spawned a thousand bad cosplayers).

4. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Less well known that Baz Luhrmann's other films from the Red Curtain Trilogy, but the best by miles. The dancing scene in front of that glittering red Coca Cola sign gets me everytime (and almost makes me want to join the world of glitter, false tan and falser smiles)

5. The Neverending Story (1984)
Born a year before me, TNS is clearly the best children's film ever. Who didn't want to join Atreyu on his shiny white horse (I can see where the name Artex came from)? Or hold the Auryn? Or ride Falkor to the Ivory Tower? Or punch Bastian in his stupid face? The sequels were shit, but TNS should be watched by all.

(it goes without saying they are not in order, come on I could barely pick them, now you expect me to rate them?)

Long Weekend

2011-05-29T12:16:00.000+01:00

As a student I'm currently enjoying the freedom of a lovely 4 month break, but so far most of it has been spent sitting around my house watching re-runs of Dawson's Creek, ER and a bit of Hollyoaks.

So, it was lovely to have a nice getaway this weekend, I visited family in the lovely North Yorkshire town of Levisham, and spent my time watching the rain on the cottage windows, eating delicious food and curling up in front of the fire. Sometimes it's nice to getaway and do nothing.

*I won scrabble.

Keldmarsh

2011-05-25T23:31:00.000+01:00

Today I visited a local nature reserve run by the YWT. The reserve is a small patch of woodland next to a local school. It's slightly rundown with a dried up river bed covered in crisp packets, yoghurt pots and beer cans, which is surprising as YWT reserves are normally very well cared for. I was also quite surprised that few people in the local area know it even exists.

Due to the location and litter animal sightings were very few, and limited to a few blackbirds, doves and a moorhen. But there were some lovely wild flowers, and I was really intrigued by a tree which was covered in a web-like substance, with clusters of caterpillars hanging from silky strands. It was quite an unusual sight. I must explore what caterpillar species behave like this.

2011-05-24T11:38:00.000+01:00

I've finally given in and joined the much-raved about website Pinterest.

You can visit my profile here: http://pinterest.com/catface/

CoriKindred

2011-05-23T10:45:00.000+01:00

Catching up on Poppytalk today, CoriKindred's work really caught my eye.

In my household we have a 'treasure jar' which is full of precious stones, shells, buttons and bits that are too beautiful to throw away. I've never been able to find a good way to display them, but CoriKindred's approach of framing and displaying them is so gorgeous and understated.

See more of CoriKindred's work at her shop: www.etsy.com/shop/CoriKindred.

Boat Trip

2011-05-22T10:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I went on the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's boat trip around Flamborough.

We went in a traditional fishing cobble around some of Flamborough's caves, coves and cliffs looking out local sea birds. As an animal management student I absolutely love any chance to view animals, particularly indigenous species, so the chance to see nesting kittiwakes, razorbills, guillemots, gannets and even Bempton's famous puffins made me really excited.

Seeing a puffin made my day, it's the first puffin I've ever seen, despite living so close to Bempton. I feel so lucky living so close to the coast, I've always really loved the sea.

5 Centimeters Per Second

2011-05-20T16:39:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday I settled down on the sofa and finally watched Mokoto Shinkai's animation. It'd been on my Amazon wishlist for a long time, and then after being purchased had sat in my bookshelf for a long time (along with other soon to be watched anime such as Paprika, Blood: The Last Vampire and Kirikou And The Sorceress).

I was not disappointed. Shinkai's triptych is beautifully animated and follows a heartbreaking love story over many years. Every aspect is illustrated with careful detail and anyone familiar with Japanese culture will recognise many elements, from train stations to drinks bottles. 5 Centimeters Per Second is obviously a labour of love, and one of the most beautiful things ever to grace my TV.

Abelardo Morell’s Camera Obscura

2011-05-18T16:12:00.000+01:00

I've recently subscribed to National Geographic and received my first magazine through the post a few weeks ago. I was completely blown away by Morell's use of a camera obscura* to project beautiful and mysterious landscapes into darkened rooms.

*(Latin; "camera" is a "vaulted chamber/room" + "obscura" means "dark"= "darkened chamber/room") is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen - Wikipedia

See the originals and more at Morell's website- www.abelardomorell.net.

Rainforest Week

2011-04-06T15:54:00.000+01:00

In the UK Sky TV are currently running a series of programmes to celebrate Rainforest Week.

Photo from: goparoo

It's a subject really close to my heart. The preservation of the rainforest is hugely important for the sake of biodiversity.

Plants & Animals

Photo from: Rainforest Rescue

The Amazon rainforest harbours nearly 40,000 plant species, ranging from tiny mosses to huge trees
Scientists know of more than 100,000 inverterbrate species in the Amazon rainforest, but believe the actual number to be significantly higher. A 250 hectare area of forest can host up to 50,000 insect species.
The Amazon River and its hundreds of tributaries are home to thousands of different kinds of fish.
Most of the world’s reptiles are found in tropical regions. Reptiles indigenous to the Amazon rainforest include 20 species of turtle and five species of boa snake.
Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in their rainforest habitat. The loss of tree cover, and resulting changes in rainfall and humidity, could be fatal for many species.
The Amazon rainforest is home to over 1,300 bird species, from the symbolic toucan to tiny hummingbirds.
Hunting, a drop in the amount of food available and loss of their rainforest habitat have reduced mammal populations across the Amazon.

People

Photo from: Rainforest Rescue

Around 30 million people call the Amazon home, including indigenous groups, rubber tappers, subsistence farmers and city dwellers.
There are nearly three million indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest, from over 300 different indigenous groups. Some still live in voluntary isolation from the outside world.
Rubber tapping is a traditional process for extracting natural latex from native rubber trees in a way that doesn’t harm the rainforest. Many Amazonians make their living this way.
Many Amazonians make their living through subsistence farming or a combination of farming and other activities, like fishing and extractivism.

Climate Change

Photo from: Rainforest Rescue

Deforestation creates around 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions - that’s as much as all the world’s cars, planes, trains and ships put together.
Rainforests help to regulate the climate by pumping large amounts of water vapour into the atmosphere, driving the regional water cycle. This acts like a global thermostat by cooling the air and generating rainfall. To maintain this function, rainforests need to keep as much of their lush tree cover as possible.
As the largest tropical rainforest in the world, the Amazon rainforest is hugely important for regulating climate and rainfall patterns in Latin America and far beyond.

One of the programmes Sky are currently showing is Walking The Amazon, in which former Army captain Ed Stafford attempts to walk the 4,000-mile length of the Amazon.

Photo from: BBC

Ed faces a two-and-a-half year journey with almost 859 days of continuous walking, pitting himself against illness, venomous insects, reptiles and fish, big cats, fearful tribes and drugs barons.

Photo from: BBC

Watching Ed battle some of the harshest and most dangerous terrain in the world highlights a number of reasons why preservation is important, he encounters a number of local tribes, and their cultures and traditions, sees beautiful and deadly wildlife that would be lost, and walks through miles of stunning planlife.

All of this will be lost to the world if we don't work on preserving the rainforest.

There are a number of organisations working to prevent the loss of the worlds rainforests:

With 20% of the Amazon already gone it's time to do something about it.

It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live - Dalai Lama

Dogs

2011-03-16T21:52:00.001Z

What's the most you would pay for a dog? £20? £50? £100?

Well if you want to get your hands on a Tibetan Red Mastiff you'd be shelling a cool million.

Thought to be one of the world's oldest breeds of dog with rumours circulating that Gengis Khan and Lord Buddha both owned one they have become a status symbol for China's new rich.

The desirability of the dog is increased by the fact that the dog is rarely found anywhere outside of Tibet and is thought of as a 'pure' Chinese breed.

Big Splash, an 11 month old dog has just sold for 10 million yuan (£945,000). However the breeder insists that the dogs genes, and special diet of Chinese delicacies such as sea cucumber and abalone mean the price is justified.

My Weekend in Pictures

2011-03-12T20:27:00.002Z

Stone & Honey

2011-03-12T19:07:00.000Z

Gemstone jewellery is making a huge impact in the fashion world at the moment - with a huge emphasis on agate.

Stone & Honey create the most beautiful and stylish gemstone necklaces, as well as whimsical, structural gold and silver pieces. Each piece of jewellery is handmade and 100% individual.

Each piece is a real state, and with a pure gold or silver chain any purchase is a real investment. I'd love to layer up a few of these beauties.

Check out the full range at Stone & Honey.

Bed

2011-03-08T20:30:00.001Z

I'm so sick at the moment I can barely get out of bed. I think that perhaps I might not mind so much if my bed looked like this:

All images from weheartit.

Disney Dream Portraits

2011-03-04T20:24:00.001Z

Disney's latest advertisement campaign is really amazing. They hired Annie Leibovitz to shoot celebrities including Beyonce, Jessica Biel and Penelope Cruz recreating iconic Disney scenes.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Julianne Moore as Arial

Queen Latifah as Ursula

Penelope Cruz as Belle and Jeff Bridges as the Transformed Beast

Alec Baldwin as the Magic Mirror and Olivia Wilde as the Evil Queen

Jennifer Lopez as Jasmine and Marc Anthony as Aladdin


Scarlett Johannson as Cinderella


Jessica Biel as Pochahontas

Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan, Gisele Bündchen as Wendy and Tina Fey as Tinkerbell

You can see more here.

Triplex Eccentric

2011-03-04T15:46:00.000Z

I found these pictures over at Poppytalk, I've never seen a house quite like it. Usually modern house design translates as lots of wide open space, no clutter and white and beige. Not so for the London house renovation by Ab Rodgers. It's just fab, I think my dream house would look just like this.

Original article from Marie Claire Maison.

Wildfox

2011-03-04T09:43:00.000Z

The Spring lookbook from Wildfox has just blown me away. From the almost-too-cool models to the pop-culture clothes every shot from the collection is a wonder. Chosing a decadent Marie Antoinette theme that seems in direct juxtaposition to the style of clothes they make is a bold choice, but it works ever so well.

Normally Marie Antoinette conjurs up images of ethereal blonde girls in pastel-coloured dresses, perhaps in part due to Sophia Coppola's dreamy reimagining of the story. Wildfox blows this out of the water with tough-looking girls who look like they would rather throw cake at you than eat it.

You can see the full lookbook - as well as countless other, equally gorgeous ones here: Wildfox

World Book Day

2011-03-03T12:48:00.000Z

Happy World Book Day!

I hope you're cracking open your favourite book today with a nice cup of tea and cake.

I'm a really avid reader, with piles of books on every free surface in my house - constantly buying new books 'to read later'. So because it's World Book Day, I'd like to share a few of my favourite books and book related websites with you.

Why not tell me your favourite book?

Websites

Bookrabbit is a fabulous site where you can keep track of all of the books you have read, are reading and have yet to read. On top of this you can write and read reviews, see what other people are reading and catch up on the latest book news. Plus, my absolute favourite feature, which appeals to the nosy in me, you can look at other peoples bookshelves!

BookCrossing is a brilliant idea. If you are ever stuck with what to do when you have finished a book then bookcrossing is for you. The idea is that you 'release' a book into the wild with a label inside stating that it is a BookCrossing book. The person who finds it hopefully discovers a brand new writer, and then enters a tracking code on the website to show where the book ended up.

Authors

Jostein Gaarder is probably my favourite author. I've read every single one of his books and love the intellect, wit and magic in each one. The first Gaarder book I ever read was at the age of 14, I borrowed Through A Glass Darkly from my local library and fell so in love with it I copied down my favourite quotes. I still feel a rush of excitement when I see a book by him, the latest being Castle In The Pyranees which I saw when I was in Thailand and had to work really hard not to spend £30 on buying the imported copy.

Joanne Harris is another author whose entire collection fills my bookshelves. I can't remember how I found myself with a copy of Chocolat, but Harris's beautiful descriptive style of writing pulled me into the book immediately and I soon started searching for her other books. I'm eagerly awaiting her new release Blueeyedboy and hoping it lives up to The Lollipop Shoes and Sleep Pale Sister rather than her rather lacklustre Pratchettesque Runemarks.

Fiction Books

Firethorn is not even close to my usual type of book, but I really liked the cover and the blurb so I decided to give it a try. What I found was not only an engaging read, but Sarah Micklem manages to create a conceivable fantasy world, so real you can almost smell it. I've read this book about four times now, chosing it over shiny new books waiting to be read in my cupboard (under the stairs, on the shelf, piled next to the bed, on the floor...). I loved the second book in the series Wildfire and find myself increasingly frustrated there is no news of the third in the series.

The Secrets Of Jin-Shei, Ok, so I admit it. I have a minor fetish for all things Asian and have bookshelves stuffed full of Asian fiction. Which makes me somewhat a connoisseur no? Alma Alexander's book is the best of these books. Asian fiction seems to be in vogue now, however this book seems to be relatively overlooked. I took this book out from the library when it was a new release and loved it so much it never left my thoughts. Then one day I visited the library and they were having a booksale, I saw this book and snapped it up quickly. It feels quite special to have it, as it was taken out five times after me, but I had it first and last.

Graphic Novels/Art Books

The Arrival, I found this book when I received some Waterstones book vouchers. Normally I buy all of my books online or secondhand, but the chance to browse through Waterstones arty books was too much to resist. I fell in love with Shaun Tan's low-beat, dark illustrations immediately. Dour and haunting the book tracks an immegrant as he tries to settle in an unknown city. If this book were a film it would definitely be Mirrormask.

Studio Ghibli: The Art Of..., I couldn't pick just one book from this series. I'm a massive fan of Studio Ghibli's work, and these books offer a look at the concept sketches, fully rendered character and background drawings, paintings and cell images. from a number of Ghibli films. It also offers interviews with the production staff and in some cases the script. My prized book of this collection is The Art Of Princess Mononoke, which is almost completely unavailable in the Western world. I picked up my copy in Trihawks, the bookshop belonging to the Studio Ghibli museum, along with 7 other books (my suitcase was VERY heavy on the way back from Japan), including companion books to the museum exclusive short films. My entire Studio Ghibli collection of books are an absolute treasure to me.

Manga

Chi's Sweet Home is hands down my favourite manga. I first learned about it while watching Cool Japan on NHK. Without realising that it was available in the UK and in English, I decided that when I visited Japan I was going to pick up a copy of the kawaii cartoon. I practiced the Japanese phrase "Chizu Suito Homu onegai Shimasu" (Chi's Sweet Home please) over and over. When I arrived it Japan I visited a number of bookshops and used my phrase, only to find each time that Volume 1 was sold out. I was devastated. Then I happened to visit Kinokuniya to pick up an English language book for my flight home. Imagine my surprise to find an English language copy of Chi's Sweet Home. Vol. 1. I snapped it up immediately, and then discovered the other volumes for sale on Amazon. Brilliant!

Tokyo Mew Mew is a kawaii manga that was later adapted into a TV anime show Mew Mew Power, which is how it first came to my attention. It was my guilty pleasure to get up early, sneak downstairs and watch PopGirl to get my Mew Mew fix. When I discovered it was a manga I quickly snapped up the first couple of books. The books then fell out of print and became progressively harder to get, when I purchased Vol 3. It arrived and was all in German. Gutted. I then dicovered TokyoPop (UK manga distributers) has lost the rights, and so the series in English would be as rare as hens teeth. Copies were selling on Amazon for £15, however as today is WBD I decided to have one more little look. And I'm pleased to say the entire collection is now winging its way to me. Yay.

I'm going to end this post before I ramble on and think of more categories to add! I can assure you though, there WILL be more book-related posts in the future.

Momiji

2011-02-25T12:19:00.002Z

Momiji are creators of contemporary and very kawaii kokeshi dolls. Kokeshi dolls are very traditional wooden Japanese dolls which are generally made of a round trunk and a large head and lack arms and legs.

Momiji have recently released two new collections, and they are both super cute. I've been collecting Momiji dolls for quite a long time now and I'm itching to add all of these lovelies into my collection.

The Book Club Collection

Luli Bunny's book club collection is really gorgeous. Geek chic and colourful, with some really unique details.

I absolutely love the girl with the frog outfit, I can't decide if I want the doll, the outfit or both!

The Hello Kitty collection

The queen feline of kawaii has collaborated with Momiji to make a fab pop culture line, I love the small details with Queen Kitty's face.

All dolls can be bought (for me) at Momiji.

Endangered Animals

2011-02-17T14:33:00.000Z

As my regular followers will know, I'm currently studying towards an animal management and behaviour degree, it goes without saying that animals are very close to my heart, and I worry a lot about endangered and vulnerable species.

I'm so in love with Sandra Dieckmann and Jamie Mills' project that I had to share. They are collaborating to make a series of cards featuring endangered animals. Although the cards are beautiful it is a timely reminder than in a short amount of time some of these animals could disappear from our planet completely.

So, be safe in the knowledge that if you bag a set of these gorgeous cards Sandra and Jamie will be making a donation to try to ensure a future for important animals such as the panda, amur leopard and polar bear.

Mondays Are For Cuddles And Craft

2011-01-31T10:53:00.000Z

I've been ill recently with a horrible ear infection. It's not serious, but it's completely thrown my balance out, so walkin around is a bit of a no-no for me. It's a little bit like being drunk, but much less fun. Who knew you could get seasick on land?

So to cheer myself up, I've restricted university work to the bare minimum for the day and instead I'm going to focus on unfinished craft projects, cups of milky tea and cuddling my cat while wrapped in blankets.

My 'at the moment' craft projects include:

- knitting The Neverending Story's Falkor

- working on my pink zebra embroidery (this has been sitting around for almost a year now!)

- making an origami mobile to go over my bed

I'm also going to spend some time catching up on books, I've got a huge pile in my to read pile at the moment, including Anne Of Green Gables, Snow Country and I Am A Cat.

What are you reading/doing at the moment?

Desperately Seeking...

2011-01-30T17:50:00.001Z

the Light Pool phone. I think I've fallen in love.

Sadly it seems the Light Pool is only available in Japan, and I'm not even sure that it would work over here in the UK. But oh my I would sell my unborn children to hold this beautiful phone in my hand (shh, don't tell my Blackberry).

See, not only does the phone look nifty normally, when you get a call, text, listen to music, etc...it lights up in lots of different futuristic patterns, which are strangely reminiscent of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind music and light sequence.

This phone = clearly worth moving to Japan for.

New Year, New Project

2011-01-09T11:33:00.002Z

I'm currently working on a very exciting project with the lovely Rob from Shogakusha.

We're looking for people who either live, have lived, or have holidayed in Tokyo. If you have a favourite part of Tokyo and you'd like to share it then please email me: catface85@gmail.com

Animal Hair

2011-01-06T15:27:00.000Z

I found these at mattresses and metal, I'm so in awe of the talent needed to create these:

2010: A Quick Review

2011-01-01T16:10:00.003Z

January

January was all about reorganising catface&pancakes as a brand. I dropped the Pickle Zoo moniker from my amigurumi animals and moved over to www.catfaceandpancakes.com. I stopped making ready made poppets and peanuts and began to focus on creating more and more unusual animals.

February

February saw me make the decision to leave my job four months before my college course started and volunteer in Thailand for a few months. I was so moved by the tireless work to improve the lives of street dogs and cats that I really wanted to go out there and help. I began planning my trip obsessively.

March

March saw me hand my notice in at work after finally confirming my trip details. I decided to spend a little time in Bangkok before moving out to Koh Lanta for one month to volunteer at Lanta Animal Welfare, before moving onto to Soi Dog in Phuket, back to Bangkok for a few days before finishing up in Tokyo. I booked my flights, accomodation and starting becoming very excited and nervous. I also started a fundraising drive, helped along by a few articles in local newspaper.

April

It seems I've turned into a one woman press machine as I try and gather as much support for my trip as I can. I get help from friends, family, fellow Folksy members and complete strangers through my website www.phuketfundraising.com. I eventually manage to raise almost £900 and some lovely messages of support.

May

May is an unsettling time for me, Eyjafjallajokull erupts in Iceland and grounds most European flights leaving me really worried that I won't be able to fly out to Thailand, there is also a huge Red Shirt rebellion in Bangkok, with riots in the street and many deaths and injuries. The foreign office updates to advise against all travel to Thailand, which voids my insurance policy. However the worst is out of the way by May 31st, and I fly out to Bangkok to begin my time in Thailand alone. I'm nervous and scared, but so excited.

June

After a few days of acclimatising to Thai customs, heat and food I move onwards to Koh Lanta, by means of a six hour minivan journey! I spend just under a month at Lanta Animal Welfare, helping out the dogs, cats and monkeys. I fall deeply in love with a scruffy little kitten, who I name Gremlin, and decide to bring him home with me. I really enjoy my time at LAW, despite seeing some really horrific things. A terrible cat virus breaks out and wipes out most of the centres cats, I toughen up. I have to deal with death almost daily, but the happy moments make up for this.

July

I move on to Soi Dog in Phuket, there is much less poo-picking and menial tasks here. My most important job is spending time with the dogs. I meet some amazing people out here and enjoy evenings on the beach with fellow volunteers. I'm much less isolated in Phuket than I was on Koh Lanta, so I enjoy the beach, restaurants and spas a little more during my time off. I get stung on the boob by a jellyfish, am treated to a slap-up meal by a local businessman (along with my fellow volunteers), spend hours sitting with the dogs and discover the Shake Shack's marvellous mojitos.

August

I say goodbye to Phuket, then Thailand in general and move on to Tokyo for a short break before returning home. I spend my first few days feeling lonely and a little bit lost, but soon find my feet and begin enjoying my favourite city in the world. I visit my favourite places such as Shinuku Gyoen, Meiji Jinju and the Studio Ghibli museum. Eventually I said goodbye to my travels in general and fly home to run into Rob's arms, three months after leaving him. I miss my travels and the animals but it's good to be home.

September

I'm home and settled with just under a month to go until I start my college course. I move my blog over to www.nekomentsu.blogspot.com and begin blogging obsessively about my trip, my inspiration and life in general. It's a lazy month for me, spent catching up with friends, watching daytime TV and taking care of Rob. I manage to make a small trip over to North Yorkshire to spend a few days with family and relaxing.

October

I begin my animal management & behaviour degree course and quickly make some amazing friends. This becomes a very busy month for me full of uni work, c&p commissions, Hull Fair and trips into York. I make a manekineko commission for one of my blogging idols, Ai.

November

Rob starts blogging over at nekomentsu (somewhat sporadically...). I'm invited to the Aussie Blogger's Market where I meet some amazing beauty bloggers and hold a small stall displaying my amigurumi animals. I enjoy being pampered and even manage to sell some of my items.

December

I celebrate my birthday with Rob, we make a trip to York and I'm thoroughly spoiled. Britain is covered by thick layers on snow, I break up from college and begin to prepare for Christmas. It's a very cosy home time.

My Trip: Dogs I Have Met At Lanta: Pepsi, Hugo And Soda

2010-12-31T21:40:00.001Z

Pepsi isn't the most photogenic dog in the world, but she's probably one of the most loving. During my time at the centre a few of us tried to teach some of the dogs to play, including fetch. Pepsi was one of the few dogs to get the game, well almost. She got the grabbing the ball part...

Soda is a sweet black and white dog, that I have persistant memories of getting stuck while trying to climb through the bars of her cage. Everything would be quiet, I'd be cleaning up poo, or washing dishes only to hear a whimpering, look over and see Soda stuck in the bars again. A very cheeky personality although slightly shy of humans.

Sadly Hugo is no longer alive. When I visited LAW he was very, very shy and would completely avoid being touched in any way. It was just impossible to get close to him. Because of this, when he became ill it was too difficult to administer treatment, and the decision was made to let Hugo go. I'll always remember him as a beautiful dog who made us all laugh when he snuck up behind you to nibble biscuits from your hand if he thought you weren't looking.

Lush Favourites

2010-12-21T17:08:00.000Z

I absolutely love Lush products!

I think everything about the company is great, they are very ethical, use lovely fresh ingredients, support some great charities and best of all create amazing products!

I'd like to share some of my favourite products with you.

Dragon's Egg

Dragon's Egg is an absolutely fab bath ballistic. It has a gorgeous sherbert lemon smell, and releases gorgeous creamy bubbles. When the bath bomb reaches the middle is starts sploshing out vivd orange bubbles and swirling gold shimmer. I've never heard any effect from the popping candy that's in the middle, but I really love taking a bath with this bomb, it feels so luxurious. I think this is probably my favourite Lush product.

Cinders

Cinders is a super spicy limited edition ballistic. It's only available over Christmas so be sure to snap it up! It releases a gorgeous cinnamon, warm smell as it fizzes around the bath, it does leave the water an unappealing wee colour, but it smell so good who cares about that?!

Porridge Soap

Porridge is a really moisturising, exfoliating soap that smells just like treacle. It makes a lovely creamy lather and the rough oats make your skin feel alive and well-buffed. It makes you smell just like a dessert!

Snowcake Soap

Snowcake is a limited edition Christmas soap, that I'm hoping to buy a huge chunk of before it disappears. It makes a lovely creamy lather and smells like marzipan. It's not as moisturising as some of Lush's soaps, but the smell more than makes up for it. Delicious.

Whipstick

I bought my first tub of Whipstick while I was in Tokyo, and I completely fell in love with it's delicious chocolate orange frangrance. It even tastes good! It's very softening and makes my lips feel and taste delicious.

American Cream

American Cream is possible the best conditioner I have ever used, it has a beautiful vanilla-honey smell and leaves my hair feeling soft. The biggest benefit for this conditioner is that the fragrance lasts such a long time. Even two days after washing I can still smell the sweetness.

Lust Perfume

Lust is an absolutely beautiful jasmine-scented perfume. Just one sniff of it takes me back to balmy African skies and warm beaches. Instead of containing just notes of jasmine, like most jasmine perfumes, Lust has a heady, sexy strong jasmine smell. Just wearing it makes me feel sexy.

Christmas Wishes

2010-12-19T11:31:00.000Z

c&p is now offering 10% off all sales!

Grab a stocking filler for your favourite nephew, niece, sister, brother, whoever!

Grab a special friend with 10% off at www.catfaceandpancakes.com.

Love Lush

2010-12-19T10:35:00.000Z

A little while ago Lush forum decided to hold a Christmas decoration competition. I decided to knit a small reindeer showing my love for the brand (I'm sure many of my followers and friends may call this an addiction...).

I was a little nervous as my embroidery was a little bit wonky, and I saw many really good entrys. However the lovely people at Lush's phone room deigned my entry good enough to not only feature in their Christmas video, but to win! :D

Today I woke up to a lovely suprise. The postman had visited (on a Sunday!) and brought me a massive pile of very delicious Lush goodies. There's absolutely nothing in my package that I've ever used before so I can't wait to get stuck in. Thanks to my very kind boyfriend and the lovely Lushies I can now enjoy an amazing bath everyday until Christmas! (and hopefully Santa may bring me some extra goodies for dreary, dark January!).

Expect pictures soon :) I'm currently working on a 'My Favourite Lush' post, but don't want to miss out any new favourites that may have arrived in my box of treats ;)

Luna & Curious

2010-12-08T16:17:00.000Z

Fab Shoreditch-based collective Luna & Curious stock the most unusual items, with gorgeous intricate paper falsies...

....beautifully macabre jewellery...

...and absolutely bonkers tights!

I'd be a very happy girl if I received any of the items on their website for Christmas.

Snow

2010-12-03T08:01:00.000Z

Just in case you haven't noticed Britain is currantly covered in a thick blanket of snow, it's especially bad in my home county Yorkshire. Since everything in Britain grinds to a halt at the first hint of snow I'm spent most of the week curled up in front of the fire, staring at our Christmas tree and drinking cocoa with lebkuchen biscuits.

The BBC has released a brilliant picture of the UK covered in snow.

I hope it continues! There's nothing nicer than playing in the snow with your loved ones!

My Trip: Dogs I Have Met At Lanta: Krusty

2010-12-02T18:51:00.001Z

When Krusty arrived at LAW he was in pretty terrible shape. He was very thin with really bad mange. However with some care and attention, and a twice-weekly mange bath he was soon looking much better. When I arrived at the centre Krusty was one of the first dogs I met. He was so friendly and reliant on human company that he was allowed to run around the kitchen. He absolutely loved a good cuddle. He'd make an absolutely brilliant pet, but sadly because he's a bit lacking in the looks department it's possible he won't be rehomed. He also has a problem with cats (which includes catching a small kitten and killing it). I had some really good times with affectionate Krusty and he soon became my fellow volunteer Karin's favourite dog. During my time at the centre we managed to introduce him to other dogs, to stop him relying on human company so much, but when left alone to play with other dogs he would just whimper at the gate and want to be with humans.

Hello Anthropologie

2010-12-01T17:52:00.000Z

You know how they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Well I hope you see it like that.

I fell in love with your beautiful snow fox decoration, but can't afford your somewhat steep £12. Plus the orange doesn't really fit in with my theme!

So I made my own version! I'm so proud of him, he took me such a long time to make but now he will grace my tree for years to come!

p.s. please don't sue me, I'm a poor student :D

Dear Everyone...

2010-11-30T18:02:00.000Z

Is it my birthday in 6 short, little days. I want this cake. No other. Kthnxbai.

found via Hawaii Kawaii.