Massively Great Quotes #27

There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

The Best Thing About Today #36

My friends!

My friends are wonderful. I don't know what I have done to deserve such a wonderful injection of people into my life in the last 2 years but they have come in abundance and I wouldn't be without them. I think the reason I'm so enthusiastic about my friendships is because I've never become comfortable with them, and tried desperately not to take them for granted. Each of my friends possesses the ability to encourage me and build me up, and for that I hope not to become used to them, and not to think of them as a given but instead, be so grateful for their presence in my life. Saccharine and sickly sweet, perhaps. But the reality is, that love is the most powerful force working in this world, and they are a part of that. My love for them, and them for me. But forget inward love, all my friends possess qualities and are passionate too about outward love, loving other people and demonstrating a love that cannot be fathomed or explained.

So there we go. My friends are brilliant.

Women of Win #6

image from www.myspace.com/katyperry

I love Katy Perry. I love pop music made by great, genuinely awesome singers (Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera etc.) as long as it's not too pretentious and genuinely awful (Lady Gaga). Katy Perry is the epitome of fun. I want to be her BFF. She's also very attractive, seemingly lovely and witty and down to earth. Let's look over the Russell Brand newpaper stuff and name some of the great songs she's been a part of: I Kissed A Girl: pop gold; If We Ever Meet Again with Timbaland: pop gold; Mannequin: pop gold. Infact... debut album: pop gold.

Also, she dresses up as fruit. What's not to love.

Hope for Haiti.

YOU can give Haiti a helping hand by signing this to free them of debt and help them to receive the aid and help they deserve. Please sign, it will take all of seconds to make a real difference.

HOPE
HOPE
HOPE
HOPE
HOPE

Wicked Cool Bands #13

Lucky #13. Here's Lee Mitchell.

IN STORES NOW#28: LEE MITCHELL / Part 1 / Heart Over Head from Bandwidth on Vimeo.

IN STORES NOW#28: LEE MITCHELL / Part 2 / Regrets / Please Don't Leave from Bandwidth on Vimeo.

today I mainly feel awkward.

Wonderful Websites #12

FormSpring.me is mental. It's essentially just one long quiz? I like it. Ask me some questions.

http://www.formspring.me/emmahlg
http://www.formspring.me/emmahlg
http://www.formspring.me/emmahlg
http://www.formspring.me/emmahlg
http://www.formspring.me/emmahlg

This is Lee Mitchell.

He's doing a tour of Holland this weekend and I am very lucky to be going too! So off to Amsterdam I go tomorrow and across Holland then back to Amsterdam next week. I am going to write a blog every day.

A week off work, a beautiful (snowy) country and hearing lots of great songs by a great person every night.

Wicked.

Hope you all have a great week too!

Happy Snow Day!

If you had one, I hope it was a good one. Personally I didn't have anyone to build a snowman with, which was the same disappointment felt last time it snowed this much! I did however have chicken soup, lots of cups of tea and Super Mario Bros for the Wii which I spent too much time playing. I think it'll be the same tomorrow. And possibly the next day! Not a lot of working going on considering it's the first week back to work after Christmas...

The Best Thing About Today #35

This song:

Review Of The Year

I didn't do this last year, mores the pity, but 2009 has been a relatively good year for blogging on my part (when I remember and don't spend an evening doing back dated entries... not that this is one or anything...). So here I am, I'm going to share with you some wonderful things that have happened to me or that my eyes and ears have been exposed to over the last 12 months!

2008 ended for me in one of my favourite places, Weymouth with some great people. 2009 began with me having a bad headache, hiding under the covers of my friend Vicky's spare room and then making the journey home to my parents house with a self inflicted 'illness'. We all know what that means. So altogether not the best start, although I'm happy to report that 2010 began rather differently.

Personally, 2009 has been a good year for me, although not without it's difficulties. Perhaps the most noteable thing to say from this year was that I have made lots of new friends! I love new friends. And without wanting to sound like this is turning into one of those awful scenes from Sex and the City where Carrie sits writing endless nonsense about men whilst looking out of the window of a New York apartment she blatantly can't afford, I also fell in love with one of those new friends and he with I! So that was quite good.

Things I enjoyed in this year:

• Lee Mitchell. He is my absolute favourite.
• Becoming an auntie again to Evie Rose. I held her when she was just half an hour old, and she was so perfect and small. I cried.
• Going on holiday. I went to Cornwall with the best bunch of people ever, I went to Northern Ireland 3 times, Greenbelt festival, and I also went on endless trips at the weekends, Southampton, Winchester, London... The time and money I've spent on trains has been ridiculous!
• Buying a Mac. Probably the best technological decision I've ever made, 2008 and all previous years before, you are nothing compared to the amazing times me and my Mac have shared this year. Without any technological errors whatsoever. Thank you Apple!
• Photography. Although I still haven't mastered taking photos in any way, I am still enjoying the ongoing learning curve that is my SLR. It's been brilliant to capture memories, look at things in a different way, and taking up a hobby and finding a passion.
• My friends! I am fortunate to have many strong friendships despite being away from every single one of them. I'm hoping that this fact changes in 2010 when I move to Winchester where I will be that little bit closer to lots of wonderful people. But if you're reading this and you're a friend of mine, many thanks to you. I consider myself epicly blessed in the friends department and hope that I can be a good friend to you in 2010 and get to know you more, spend more time with you and generally sharing in your life as you will hopefully do in mine. Love.

Music in 2009 has been great in my opinion. I've enjoyed many albums, mostly in the latter part of the year, I don't know maybe Autumn Winter has just been a great time for great albums this year? Artists and albums that I want to mention are as follows, so get involved.

• I feel very lucky to say that I know many talented people, one of them includes Lee Mitchell. 2010 is going to be a very good year. Expect brilliant things and expect me to keep you updated with these brilliant things. Myspace HERE.
  

Songs: Shy to Say, Love is Here, Heart Over Head, Regret.

• Foy Vance. My discovery of Foy was perhaps later than diehard fans but the second I heard his album Hope I was hooked, and luckily for me I was due to go and see him live the following fortnight. I was not disappointed. He remains one of my favourite artists, however underground his talents remain. The world deserves to hear him however, and you can read what I've blogged about him HERE.

Songs: Indiscriminate Act of Kindness, Treading Water, Don't Please Yourself, Homebird.

• Mumford & Sons. Brilliant debut album Sigh No More. Ignore the hype and concentrate on the incredible lyrics of Marcus Mumford & co. Blogged about them HERE.
  

Songs: Sigh No More, Little Lion Man, Awake My Soul, Roll Away Your Stone.

• James Yuill. A good friend of mine was playing this very Postal Service style album in his car one day and I bought it the second I got home. Once again, I've blogged about him and his album Turning Water Into Air HERE.

Songs: No Pins Allowed!, This Sweet Love, No Surprise.

• Imogen Heap's third album Ellipse has been played a lot on my iPod too, and I can't wait to see her live in February. Long live female electropop, the genre of which Imogen is queen.

Songs: Bad Body Double, First Train Home, Swoon.

• Luke Leighfield. Luke's third (and amazingly slick) album Have You Got Heart? is still available for a pay-whatever-the-hell-you-like-even-nothing HERE. Pride emanates from me that I have the privilege of knowing such a hard working and talented person as Luke. Expect big things from him in 2010 including another Russia and China tour, UK dates, a fourth album and lots more fun.

Songs: 60,000 Miles, When You've Reached Your Limit, By My Side.

• Bon Iver is one of those artists that you hear important people talking about and it takes you ages to get round to listening to their music. I usually find that when this happens I either love it or wonder what the fuss it about. This was definitely the former. For Emma, Forever Ago would be an incredible album with or without the use of my name, it just so happens that it makes me love it that little bit more. His latest EP has also delivered greatness.
  

Songs: For Emma, re:stacks, Blindsided, Blood Bank, Woods.

• A Fine Frenzy aka Alison Sudol has also been a favourite of mine, especially her latest offering, Bomb In A Birdcage. Beautiful stuff from a beautiful lady.

Songs: Near To You, Almost Lover, What I Wouldn't Do, Electric Twist.

On the subject of music, I've seen some brilliant bands live this year including Foy Vance, Paramore, Idlewild, Brand New, The Maccabees and many friends including Being Jo Francis, Lee Mitchell and Luke Leighfield.

I don't think I've been to the cinema nearly as much as I have wanted to this year, but I have seen a few films that I have loved!

• Most recently, Where The Wild Things Are exceeded my expectations and Spike Jonez has made a children's book into a wonderful film capturing the essence of childhood adventure without alienating an adult audience. In fact, possibly appealing more to it.
  
• The fifth sixth installment of Harry Potter, whilst not being the epic I was expecting, was still really enjoyable given my obsession with all things Hogwarts related.
• 500 Days Of Summer was another odd love story to add to my collection of favourites. Zooey's fringe is uncomparable and the music was also excellent. Uncomparable fringes and excellent music are 2 of my favourite things in life, so you can imagine my joy.

Book wise, I didn't do alot of reading. However.

• I'm currently re-reading Sex God by Rob Bell which is still as great as the first time round. I also bought his coffee table style book Drop Like Stars this year which has some great photography in and is also provides a very interesting slant on the issue of suffering in relation to God.
• The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Clairbourne made me cry on many train platforms. One man's opinion on how we can all be warriors in the fight for justice, love and grace.
  
• Non Christian literature wise, I loved The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I'm yet to see the film as I'm told it's dire but the book had me hooked.
• I'm currently enjoying The Complete Works of John Keats. Poetry in a non education context? How absurd! But it's beautiful.

TV wise, I continue to be astounded by the stupidity of Hollyoaks and Gossip Girl. I fell in love with and watched the entire 7 seasons of Entourage and also got fairly involved with Flash Forward although I'm still not entirely sure if it's good or not... the jury's out on that one. I'll keep you posted.

I hope 2009 has been a good year for you all, and you enjoyed this mini-review. Spread the word about the blog, and I will continue to provide inane insights into my world!

Love,
Emmah xo

TWO THOUSAND AND NINE

Credit to Tom Price.

Dearest 2009,
As Dickens wrote, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

You've been turbulent, but joyous. You've been love-filled, but heart-wrenching. You've been beautiful, but imperfect.

You began where I end, in a nice 4 bedroom house in North Dorset, filled with objects and possessions that remind us of times gone by, yet they reside in a place relatively new to memories. They are slowly building though, and 2009 has added to these significantly.

There have been some births, and though all deaths are significant, I am thankful and grateful that you spared me heartache this year. There have been some especially noteable friendships that have developed, changed, been re-born and continue to astound and amaze. There have been new people within your period of time which have crept upon me and left me wondering what I did to deserve them. There have been holidays, hard graft, endless train journeys, failures, hope, despair, endless photos, tears, uncountable laughs and a new favourite thing; falling in love.

You, 2009 have been a good one. I remember saying good bye to 2008 in a somewhat drunken state, dressed as a clown, standing with friends and ready for a fresh start. In this readiness, I lifted a glass and said something along the lines of 'good riddance 2008'. You were supposed to be filled with a bullet point list of hopes and now I realise it... demands. Some have been fulfilled, some have cropped up time and time again and remain an ongoing struggle, but like 2008, you too have been a steep learning curve.

I am a small percentage but a percentage nonetheless wiser, and consider the journey that little bit lighter given the events of the last year. Specific details aren't needed, you and I know both the pitfalls and blessings you have bestowed upon me, but let's just say that I hope by the end of this new friend of mine 2010, I have the same bursting heart of hope, faith and above all love that is beating in my chest right now.

It remains trite when people say a new year a new start but there are so little opportunities to begin again in this life that I would like to embrace the ceremony of goodbye to you 2009, and say bring on 2010.

In this year, resolutions will most likely be untouched or discarded within the first week so I shan't make them. Instead I will continue to seek the kingdom, and all the rest I am guaranteed will follow.

Yours in accepting old beginnings and looking forward to the new,
Emmah xo