Top ten Netflix watches (so far)

Hello flower,

I hope you're well. I'm less grumpy this Monday, following a lovely Thanksgiving weekend at my boyfriend's family's house in London!

We have recently acquired Netflix in our flat. We started off with a month's free trial, then decided it was too good to let go when our month was up. I thought I'd use this opportunity to share with you some of the best things I've watched so far.

1) Breaking Bad

I'm sure you know the premise of the storyline for this series; a chemistry teacher with terminal cancer turns to producing and selling crystal meth to fund his treatments. Watching this series is like watching a car crash - it's horrible, it's heart-breaking, it takes courage, but you daren't look away. We see Walter White go from a kind, caring family man to what seems to be a truly bad person. I'm currently watching series three, and I can still see glimpses of the old Walter from where I'm standing. How will it end? Who knows. All I know is that this is the most dark, but intriguing television series I've come across so far, and nothing else will come close.

2) Lost in Translation

I'm cheating a little bit with this one, as I'd seen it before we got Netflix, but my DVD is horribly scratched and jumps around a lot, so I'd never really watched the whole film without missing bit. Lost in Translation circles around the friendship that sparks between an aging actor (Bill Murray) and a recent graduate (Scarlett Johansson) after they meet in a hotel in Tokyo. I love the cinematography (I adore Sofia Copolla's first film - The Virgin Suicides also for this reason.) Tom described it as "one of your arty-farty films where nothing happens," but I think the way it captures emotion is incredible. It also helped how I could empathise with Johansson's character being a recent graduate myself. I'd recommend this to anyone who hasn't found themselves yet.

3) Carrie

This is a classic horror film that I have been trying to watch ever since I read the novel aged about thirteen! (I'm a massive Stephen King geek and have read almost all of his books.) They keep trying to remake this one, but I really don't think there's any need, it's a cracker!

The film stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie, a shy and bullied teenager who lives with her religious fanatic mother. The bullying escalates until a practical joke at her prom causes Carrie to unleash her telekinetic powers.

4) Secret Diary of a Call Girl

All of the series of Secret Diary of a Call Girl are on Netflix, and it's the ultimate girly indulgence! Based on the real life diaries of Belle de Jour, Secret Diary tells the story of Hannah, a high class escort as she goes about her day to day life. I could go into how the series glamourises the sex trade, but I'm not going to, this is just a really enjoyable season to put on when it's raining, or you're a bit glum!

5) Fatal Attraction

Fatal Attraction is one of those films that I've been meaning to see after years of people saying "oh she's a bit of a bunny boiler," and me responding with a laugh, pretending to know what they're talking about.

It's a wicked thriller about a married man who has a short affair with a work colleague, and how it all spirals out of control when his lover refuses to let it end, resulting in stalking and obsession. I loved the build up of tension. I'd imagine this is most bloke's worst nightmare! 

6) A Film With Me In It

Black comedy at its finest! The story centres on an unsuccessful actor and clarinet player who ends up with a large number of dead bodies on his hands. Together with his friend Pierce (Dylan Moran), they attempt to escape their predicament by re-writing the day's events as if it were a film. 
This film is just hilarious, I swear I had tears in my eyes at several points.

7) Frida

I've always had a fascination with the artist Frida Kahlo, so when I discovered the biopic of her life - Frida - was on Netflix, I was really excited. It's beautifully shot, and it was fascinating to me, as I had no idea about the crippling injury that kick-started her artistic career and the whirl-wind marriage that fuelled her creativity. Stunning. 

8) Be Kind Rewind

I'm always a fan of anything silly with Jack Black in it, but I think this is my favourite of his films so far. The film is about two video shop workers who inadvertently delete all the images from the videos in the shop, and then re-shoot every film to keep the business running in the absence of the owner. Directed by Michel Gondry, who also directed one of my favourites - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in Be Kind Rewind we see a similar level of surrealist genius, but this time in a comedic form. 

9) Secretary 

I'm sure this is the original inspiration for E.L James' Fifty Shades series, the bloke in question this time is called E. Edward Grey -  not a coincidence surely? Anyway I digress. The synopsis of Secretary: Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) becomes secretary to Grey (James Spader.) Their professional relationship develops slowly and unconventionally, with aspects of BDSM and dominance/submission. This one surprised me though, it's actually very romantic, with none of the sinister undertones of the Fifty Shades series. A really good watch.

10) The Talented Mr. Ripley

This is one of those films where everything goes horribly wrong. I'm not going to go into detail regarding the plot, because it's very complex. Just watch it. It's brilliant. 

I hope this provided some inspiration to someone who's stuck for something to get their teeth into!

Love and peace, 

Heppy

Winter skin: All you need is love! (And aqueous cream.)

Well hello there flower,

Sorry it's been so long! Too long!

I've been a bit chaotic as of late, and very up and down. More about that later.

I'm very much a summer person, always have been, and lately my skin has really been suffering at the hands of the wintery climate in the UK, along with my mood.

Having always suffered from eczema, when my dry and itchy skin returned with a vengeance this month, I decided I'd had enough and visited my doctor to be prescribed antibiotics and strong steroid creams.

I also discovered aqueous cream - what a revelation. And so I thought I'd share a little tip with all those of you also suffering this winter. The itchy eczema also attacked my poor face leaving me unable to wear make up and a bit glum.

Here is a couple of tips:

1) Use aqueous cream to cleanse and moisturise. 
When showering, wash your face with water only (I remove my make up with Simple cleansing wipes before bed) after your shower, slap a load of aqueous cream on your face (I mean loads, your face should be completely white!) then rinse off. Towel dry, then rub in some more as a moisturiser.
This, along with a little hydrocortisone (from a chemist) on the worst parts got my face back to its normal happy self!

2) Shower in luke-warm water.
Never use hot water on your skin. Especially not on your face, as it really drys it out.

3) Moisturise LOADS
Once out of the cool shower, kinda dab a towel on yourself, but don't scrub yourself dry completely. This way you're a little damp still, and then the moisturiser can work better as it traps in the moisture. NOW COVER YOURSELF IN AQUEOUS. I WON'T SAY IT AGAIN!


I hope someone finds some comfort from my advice, I know how horrible it is having dry itchy skin.

Here is a photo of my hand covered in henna in Morocco:

Look how angry, swollen and sore my poor hands have been in the past!

Here are my hands today. So much better, I bought new nail varnish (and a hat) to celebrate!:

Another thing to make me smile today: 

John Mayer's ability to make women's knickers fall off. 

And this never fails to make me laugh until I'm almost sick:

Love and peace, 

Heppy

My family

Hello flower,

So it's day eleven and today I am going to write about

My Family

Family... wow! My family are incredible. The expression "you can't choose your family' is true for everyone, but if I were given the choice, I wouldn't change a thing!
My close family is quite small, just me my mum dad and brother, but I have a really large extensive family too who are equally fantastic, I only wish I could see a bit more of them!

I realise how lucky I am to have a family, and always try to never take them for granted. My parents are supportive in whatever I choose to do, (within reason!) and have been especially amazing these past couple of months when I finished university and looked for a job.

I wish I saw more of my big brother. He lives on the other side of the country which means I only see him a couple of times a year. There is nothing preventing me from getting my bum in gear and seeing him more, especially as he might be moving to New Zealand in the near future (scary.)

That's nearly all there is to tell in that department. I am very fortunate when it comes to family!


Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

I shuffled my ipod, and look what it spat out!

Hello flower,

Today is day ten...

I'm going to

Put Your Music on Shuffle and List the First Ten Songs

1) You Better Believe It - The Small Faces
2) Oscar Tango - The Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3) Passacaglia, Op. 1 - Webern
4) Coptine D'un Autre Ete: L'apres Midi - Yann Tiersen
5) Divertimento for Orchestra - Leonard Bernstein
6) Unsatisfied - Nine Black Alps
7) Etude 11 in E Flat - Chopin
8) Love Doesn't Last Too Long - The Weepies
9) Brandenburg Concerto no 1 - J.S. Bach
10) She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd



Hmmmm... quite proudly eclectic.

Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

Day eight

Hello flower,

It's day eight.

What I Ate Today

Breakfast
- flapjack, an orange, black coffee

Lunch
- 3x ryvita with cottage cheese, ham, olives and balsamic vinegar

Tea
- We went out for an Italian to celebrate getting our jobs! I had a seafood pasta in tomato sauce. It was delicious.

Snacks
- Homemade ginger biscuits and flapjack from my mum

Drinks
- Green tea, water, diet coke.




Well wasn't that dull.


Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

Five pet peeves...

Hello flower,

Today my weekend begins (my days off are Sunday and Monday) yaaaaaaaaay!

It's day seven...  and here are my

Top Five Pet Peeves!


1) Rudeness
I really cannot abide people who are unnecessarily rude.

2) The climate
As a summer person, I often find the weather in England really depressing. I am so much happier when it's sunny outside. Perhaps I need to emigrate to somewhere really sunny!

3) Ignorance
Some say "ignorance is bliss.." that's not the kind of ignorance I'm talking about. I don't think there's any need for offensive ignorance. If you don't understand, get informed before you open your mouth and offend people.

4) Rubbish television
I've never been a big fan of television. There are few programmes on telly that I enjoy, and I could quite happily live without a TV providing that I still had access to films. One thing I can't stand is sitting through some rubbish programme because there's nothing on. Just switch it off and read a book!

5) Creamy food
Rice pudding. White sauce. Cheese sauce. Bread and butter pudding. Custard. Cream. YUCK.






Wow, that felt like a really negative post! I'm gonna balance it out with a few things that have made me happy today:

- My mum's baking that she left with me yesterday - flapjack for breakfast and homemade biscuits getting me through work.
- Tom rolling into bed at 5am, steaming drunk, and being super soppy - nawwr!
- Reminiscing about my university graduation yesterday.
- Seeing my brother and his lovely lovely girlfriend, and the note they left me for when I got home.
- Having a good laugh with Marc at work.
- Indulging in boiled eggs with soldiers - my ultimate comfort food!


Love and peace,

Heppy xxxx

My Views On Mainstream Music.

Hello flower,

Today is day six.

My Views on Mainstream Music


This is a bit of a tricky one.

Firstly I'm not sure entirely what is meant by 'mainstream' music.  I see mainstream to mean something that is normal or conventional, but this can apply differently to different people.

For the sake of argument, I am going to talk about music that is in the charts.

Each morning I wake up to the radio alarm playing BBC Radio One, so I always have a good feel for what is in the charts at any given time. The music that is played by the station is what I would call 'mainstream,' and I think that the music they play is popular for a reason. As a semi-proffesional musician, I love listening to popular music because I can often work out the hooks that make the song work, and I find it interesting doing so.

For example: Maroon 5's Payphone is popular at the moment.

The reason I find I think this song is so addictive and popular is the chorus. I don't want to go into too much detail, but the melody for the line "I'm on a payphone" is beautifully written, the interval leap is what makes it pretty much perfect and it is that tune for that line that makes the whole song work. The Inner Game of Music is a wonderful book that, amongst other things,  explains why certain melodic lines please us as humans.

Newton Faulkner's cover version of Payphone takes that beautiful melody and exploits it to the best of its potential.

I much prefer Faulkner's version. 

What I want to achieve with these examples is to demonstrate why I love mainstream music. I use it as a little game for my musical mind. 

Of course, I like some songs, I dislike others. I LOVE some songs, and I HATE others. 

Love and peace,

Heppy xxxx

A couple of things I would say to my ex.

Hello flower,

Today is day five.



A Couple Of Things I Would Say To My Ex


"Thank you."
"Thank you for helping me chase my dreams."
"Thank you for all the fun and happy times."
"Thank you for believing in me."

And one final word that never be quite powerful enough -

"Sorry."

Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

A new job and my day.

Hello flower,

So in regard to my thirty days I'm afraid I have been a little slack these last few days! I had a trial day yesterday and was given a job, and I started today! It is such fantastic news to have got a job so soon after finishing university, I am so relieved and grateful.

How funny, day four of the thirty days is to 'bullet my day'. So here we go, here is what happened at the first day of my new job.

Bullet Your Day
- 6.45am: Radio alarm goes off, I have a five minute snooze to Chris Moyles then roll out of bed.
- 6.50-7.30am: Normal morningy activities done in super speed. By 7:30am I am clean, dressed, made up, fed, watered, and ready to set off for my new job.
- 7:30-7.45am: A brisker than necessary walk to the train station in panic that I might miss my train.
- 7:45am: I get to the station, a train is waiting! I panic and leap aboard before realising I am very early.
- 8:15am: I arrive to my destination forty five minutes early - oops! It's always better to be too early than too late.
-8:15am - 9am: I find the actual place of work with the help of google maps. I then walk back into town and find a lovely coffee shop where I enjoy a large black americano (my favourite!) outside in the sunshine. What great preparation for my day! (In hindsight maybe a regular coffee would be better than a large - I was wired!)
- 9am-5:30pm: I look around the place, meet members of staff and undergo training. The working day is busy with lots of information to take in, but I have enjoyed my first day!
-5:30pm-5:45pm: Run to the train with Marc, my new colleague before realising we are actually early. What is it with today and being early?!
- 5:45-6:15pm: Train ride home is enjoyable, if a little toasty. Today is hot!
-6:15-6:30pm: Stroll back home whilst on the phone to my mum, discussing my day.


Now I am sat, back home with my boyfriend and his mate Joe. Nice to be back home and relaxing. How was your day?

Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

A book I love

Hello flower,

Today is day three, and I'm going to be writing about one of my favourite books.

A Book I Love


I couldn't possibly say what my favourite book of all time is, so I've gone with one of my top ten.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. 

Because I tend to read novels, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a slightly different choice for me, being a translation of the French memoir.

Bauby was a successful journalist, and the editor of French Elle magazine. On the 8th of December, 1995, Bauby suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. He awoke twenty days later, mentally aware of his surroundings, but physically paralysed with what is known as locked-in syndrome, with the only exception of some movement in his head and eyes. 

The entire book was written by Bauby blinking his left eyelid, which took ten months (four hours a day) using a transcriber who repeatedly recited the alphabet until Bauby blinked to choose the next letter. The book took about two hundred thousand blinks to write and an average word took approximately two minutes.

When I picked up the book for the first time, I knew the background of how it had been written, so I almost felt I owed it to Bauby to read it due to the hardship he undertook in writing it. I didn't realise quite how beautifully written it would be. There was a film adaption made of the book in 2007, which is equally brilliant.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a little perspective. 

“I need to feel strongly, to love and admire, just as desperately as I need to breathe.” Jean-Dominique Bauby

Love and peace, 

Heppy xxx

Something I feel strongly about.

Hello flower, 


So it's day two of the thirty day blog challenge. 


Today's topic is:


Something I Feel Strongly About


Today I have decided to write about gratitude. I am a firm believer in appreciating the hand you have been dealt in life, and I believe that by practicing a positive attitude you can make everything seem a little easier. 


This topic is very relevant and close to my heart due to my current situation. Having just finished university, I am currently searching for a job and living on next to nothing. I rely on my savings to pay for food and my bills/rent. This is a very stressful environment to be living in, and the stress levels have been taking their toll on my health recently, I've been poorly and losing a lot of sleep. 


A few nights ago I was lying in bed with my boyfriend, complaining about our bed. It basically came down to it being a 3/4 size - not quite big enough for a couple to share comfortably, and the useless mattress that means I wake up with backache most mornings. This developed into a rant regarding how I don't feel I'll ever be able to afford a decent bed for us. 


After a couple of moments, I paused and said "wait!" 


I suddenly realised how horribly ungrateful I was being. I remembered that there are so many people in this world who don't have a bed. There are so many people who don't have a roof over their heads. There are so many people who don't even have the privilege of living in a safe environment. 


Who am I to complain?! I was focusing way too much on what is lacking in my life and forgetting how lucky I am. I have a college education, a safe place to live in a lovely city with my boyfriend who I love and who loves me in return. I have loving parents and a great network of friends. I have so many things to be grateful for.


In summary, it is always important to remember what you have to be grateful for. A positive attitude really does go a long way. 


“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life & the world.” (John Milton)


Gala Darling has lots to say in regard to gratitude. You should check her out! 


That's all from me today. 


Love and peace, 


Heppy xxx

The thirty day blog challenge - Day 1

Hello flower,

I've been aiming to post here more regularly, but unfortunately I've found it difficult to know where to begin. Due to having some extra free time at the moment, I've decided to set myself a little challenge to encourage my writing. I am intending to do the thirty day blog challenge as seen below.

Okay so here we go! I start with five ways to win my heart. Of course, my heart is already taken by my lovely boyfriend Tom, who I now live with, but I'm playing the blog game aren't I!?

Five Ways to Win My Heart

1) FOOD.   I think it is quite widely known amongst the people who know me that I love food. At night my boyfriend and I often lie in bed and discuss food for hours! My biggest weaknesses are currently chocolate, avocado, southern fried chicken, houmous... the list goes on.... Have you been here? Food porn! Because I can't afford a lot of food at the moment, I like to fantasize about it instead.

2) HUMOUR.  I'm a sucker for anyone who can make me laugh. Tom can make me laugh just by making the slightest noise or facial expression, and at the moment this is essential to keeping me smiling!

3) FILM.  Because films are a massive passion of mine, I love it when I find like-minded souls whom I can sit down and enjoy a good film with. Some of my favourites are Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Darjeeling Limited. 

4) CONVERSATION.  What would life be without good conversation? I love getting into deep and meaningful conversations with people (albeit when I've had too many glasses of wine...) It's an amazing feeling when you find someone who makes you think.

5) MUSIC.   Music is a huge part of my life. It is a rare point in my day when there is no music playing or I'm not humming/singing/tapping or practicing my flute. I find it hard to connect with people who don't enjoy music, because I feel like they couldn't possibly understand me. 

Well that's all folks! See you tomorrow for day two. 

Love and peace, 

Heppy xxx 

Saturday quote

Hello flower, 

And there will come a time, 
you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, 
but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see 
what you find there,
With grace in your heart 
and flowers in your hair.


- After the Storm by Mumford and Sons 




A favourite song of mine... feels relevant to me at the moment, hunting for jobs in a shitty climate. You can either choose to be positive or grumpy. I'm going for happy, something will come along! 


Love and peace, 


Heppy xxx

Gratitude time!

Hello flower,

So I've just finished my degree. I don't know where to go next, or what to expect. I'm feeling very lost at the moment, uncertain, and job-hunting in a recession is making it difficult to keep my head above water.
We all need to remember to keep smiling, and I think a good way of doing this is to regularly remind yourself of the things you should be grateful for. I believe that if we appreciate the simple things in life, we become more easily pleased and things feel a little less difficult. Big breath, here we go, time to count my blessings! Here is a list of the things I am thankful for!

- Having amazingly supportive parents who love me unconditionally.
- My boyfriend Tom, who also happens to be my best friend. I'm so excited to move in with him at the end of this month.
- My friends, who always put a smile on my face.
- I'm grateful to be able to find inspiration in music.
- I have access to enough food and clean water. - Never ever take this for granted!
- I have a roof over my head.
- Kindness exists
- My good health, and that of my loved ones.
- My laptop, and internet access.
- My teeth, I like them!
- Illuminating moments,
- I am grateful for learning and education.
- That there is always something new and creative to be doing.

What are you grateful for?

Love and peace,

Heppy

Pooooorly poor Heppy

Hello flower,

So I'm not feeling very well today. I'm all full of cold which is especially bad because I can't play my flute and right now I should be doing several hours a day because my recital is in a few weeks time... scary!

In other news, I handed in my dissertation yesterday so I'm feeling a lot more relaxed which is great. Also I hurt my ankle doing Jillian Michael's Thirty Day Shred... damn it! I'm not going to pretend that I'm not thankful for a day off haha!

I just made a pint of freshly squeezed orange juice and it was so delicious. I'm going to spend the day making myself feel better, catching up on essays and tidying my room, which looks like it's been hit by a post-dissertation bomb.

Things that are making me smile today:

This

and also some straight talking advice from the lovely Gala Darling.

And this song is just perfect. Perfect.

Love and peace,

Heppy xxx

The Hair Chronicles (part 1)

Hello flower, 

I've been a little over-interested (obsessed) by my hair at the moment. I'm eager to grow it very very long indeed, and will do anything to get there.

There are all sorts of weirdy methods I've been trying out, (more on that later) one of which is not using heat. I want my hair to stay in the best condition possible in order to encourage it to grow, so I thought not using heat styling would give it a hand along the way. 

My hair is naturally straight but I like it wavy best. Here is my method of getting nice waves in your hair without using heat!

(Here is me awkwardly showing off my new found waves)

- Wash your hair.

- Allow to air dry naturally, tucking your hair behind your ears (this creates a nice wave at the front)

- When nearly dry, run some mousse through your hair. This means that the waves don't fall out, and it eliminates frizz. I use L'Oreal's Studio Silk and Gloss Curl Power Mousse. 

- Part your hair into two sections, one on each side of your head.

- Twist both sections down the length in a clockwise direction.

- Finally, twist the two sections together anti-clockwise and they will form a rope braid. Secure with a hair bobble. 

- Leave to dry completely, then shake it out! 

Basically, it's like having plaits in wet hair but the rope braid creates a nicer wave. More like a beach wave, instead of that criss-crossy business you get with plaits. 

Love and peace, 

Heppy  

Hello sleepy Sunday.

Hello flower,

I'm feeling a little hungover and sluggish today. It's been raining all week in Leeds and there's a bit of a melancholy feel in the air. So here are some nice cheery images I found via the Free People Blog (have you been there before? It's a lovely place to be!)

Ahhh, big sigh. That's much better! I am aiming to start posting here more regularly from now on. Watch this space,

Love and peace, 

Heppy

Snow

Couldn't resist posting again very quickly to say "IT'S SNOWING"... Despite being a grown up I still become filled with a child-like glee whenever it snows. As Michael Mcintyre once said - "the only time it's acceptable to wake up your partner is if someone famous has died, or if it's snowing outside." I'd definitely agree with this statement. I find it sad that when you grow up people start huffing and puffing about the inconvenience of snow. I'd definitely be the first to wake you up when it's snowing.
Here is a photo of me embracing the snow and pretending to be Sara from A Little Princess - my favourite childhood film.

Happy snow day if you're having one!

Love and peace,


Heppy

Welcome, Beinvenue, Shalom, Velkommen and so on.

Why hello there!

Delighted to meet you. I'm Heppy, and this is my blog!

Having had a tumblr for well over three years, I decided it was time to stumble into the stratosphere of blogging for real.
I've grown sick of the constant re-blogging and recycling of other people's photos and ideas. There's no time like the present to start writing for real. I yearn to CREATE!
I believe the most important thing in this short life is to find happiness, therefore it naturally follows that I want this blog is to focus on appreciating life's beauty, being happy, creative and feeling inspired.

You've had a simplified version of how I came to find myself here today. Now to tell you a little bit about myself. (Never easy!)

My name is Hepzibah Clair Deane, but I go by the name of Heppy. A bit of a bizzare name I know, but I feel when you have a silly name you have no choice but to live up to it!

I am currently twenty-one years old. I'm a girl, living in Leeds, UK. Currently I don't have a job, but I am in the final year of studying for my degree in music. This means for now and the next few months I spend more time in a practice room than outside. But that's soon to change. More about that later!

Anyway, enough from me for now.

Love and peace,

Heppy