Multi-Tonal Jewellery

I have always loved rose-gold and especially multi-tonal jewellery but right now my love has turned into some serious lust and even though I have a couple of pieces in my jewellery box, I might just have to indulge...

What - or indeed if - I am actually going to buy, will be largely dictated by budget and as with everything else, the sky is the limit. Here are my favourite options...

Right, first up a real budget find. These Mini Door Knocker Earrings from Topshop mix gold and silver-tones, are small enough to be worn tongue-in-cheek ladylike but also quirky enough to add a bit of edge to a casual outfit. At £6.50 a great little treat!

Another great bargain at £8 is this bracelet from Accessorize. Similarly as with the earrings above, the different textures add to the different tones. Great for a bit of last-minute topping up an outfit!

There is, of course, always the option of going with something delicate and genuine, such as this set of stackable set of rings from Nadina Giurgiu. So pretty, ultimately timeless, classic and probably something I'd cherish forever. At $90 (ca. £56) not dirt cheap but I think that's great value for money for a piece (or rather 12 in this case!) of handmade, real jewellery!

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)Na

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)

N a d i n a G i u r g i u

Source: Handmade stack rings & bangles (http://s.tt/139kA)

Another item in this price-range is this really pretty Disney Couture trio of bangles (sold at ASOS). They are silver, gold and rose-gold plated, feature sweet slogans engraved on each and a gold-plated chain with charms. With a pricetag of £75 possibly a nice gift for your best friend - or yourself? 

I don't know about you but for me jewellery doesn't come much better or more romantic, than in one of those little "robin egg blue" (apparently that's the official name!) boxes:

There are quite a few really lovely pieces in the current collection, mixing rose-gold, silver and sometimes yellow gold but I like this piece for it's unabashed reference to the jewellery house's heritage: two interlocking circles, hallmarked with the company's founding year. At £485 likely to be something to save up for or to ask as a gift for a special occasion!

Now, talking about special, this would definitely apply to the following item. The Expansion Joint Cuff by Eddie Borgo (pre-order on Moda Operandi) is just a spectular statement piece. At $1850 (ca. £1162) a far cry from anywhere near my budget but something so unusual and fantastically strange. Just imagine wearing it with a floaty evening gown or with a simple white tee. *Sigh*.

Do let me know if you like the trend and whether you have any multi-tonal jewellery in your jewellery box?

Wednesday Lunchtime Treat!

So we are officially half-way through the week. Is there a better time for little pick me up? 

Reason 1: I reward myself for having gotten to Wednesday without major breakdowns.

Reason 2: I give myself a little cheer so I will make it to the end of the week!

With it being the 29th of February, I could do one of those "ladies, propose to your man - buy him a ring/watch/... here" but I think it's a rather daft concept to only be "allowed" to propose once every 4 years. So I shall ignore that tradition.

Instead, I'll give you a quick rundown on the leapyear promotions I've been getting. Most of these are only valid for today so be quick!

ASOS

Up to 29% off with Promocode LEAPDAY10 

LaRedoute

29% off with Promocode 5250

Dorothy Perkins

Up to 50% off Sale starting today

Cocosa

Melissa Shoes up to 60% off
Hurry up, just a few of the gorgeous Vivienne Westwood PomPom Heels left. Also get ready to check out the Alice by Temperley Sale launching tomorrow!

Enjoy your lunch!

Magical Kinder Aggugini

I was lucky enough to attend Kinder Aggugini's AW12 show as part of London Fashion Week.

I have to admit, some lines were really not my cup of tea (not a big fan of those coats that swamped the incredible fragile models' frames) but towards the end I was salivating over the beautiful dark blue and gold lace dresses...

 ...and the pair of evening gowns that seemed to be crafted out of a wool felt. Juxtaposing an earthy, coarse-ish material with such an elegant style was just brilliant.

Anyway, fashion insiders will have known for some time but I only just came across the fact that that Aggugini has designed the costumes for English National Ballet's The Rite of Spring. So far I could only find one sketch and it makes me want to see more. 

There is certainly some of the magic of the dark blue and gold lace dresses in there but it also conveys strength and agility.
Interesting also that wearability is something that comes up regularly when catwalk fashion is discussed. They won't just wear it, they'll dance in it!

Oscars - Hit and almost no Miss

Ok, so I am rather late: more than 24 hours after the red-carpet-fest and everybody has given their opinion, evaluation and judgement of who was hot and who not.

White was without a doubt the colour of the night. So that much about my verdict about pastels at the Oscars'...

Anyway, here is my hit & miss list!

My top 5:

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

Elegant. Effortless. That cape looks so glam yet relaxed, like she nonchalantly threw her boyfriends jacket over her shoulders. And did you notice that there are absolutely no visible lines of any type of undergarment?! Covered up but oh so sexy!

 

                                                 

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

I think reds are always a bit of a risk for blondes but this coral is so flattering on her skintone, making her look freshfaced and young. The ruffles and the peplum are fun, the shape classy and elegant, the backless detail adds a bit of tongue in cheek sexy and she's got it spot on with the accessories. Some fashionistas might shoot me but she reminds me of a younger, contemporary version of Pretty Woman's Vivian in *that* red dress.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Ultimately flattering, making her look curvy and glamorous. Makes girls like me wish we had curves like that!

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

I won't even go on about that breathtaking cleavage. For that alone, I think the dress has the chance of becoming a remember-forever dress like that Versace Jungle Dress. But her shape, emphasised by the sculptural lines (very art deco) makes her look like a statue. 

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

Exquisite. Hand-embroidered. Opulent. Makes me think of dresses you normally only get to see at the V&A. But more flattering.

...and my bottom 5 ...
Although I have to say that there were no real howlers, the following five are just my least favourite. Most mere mortals would be more than happy to scrub up this well...

Penelope Ann Miller in Badgley Mischka

When interviewed on the carpet she said she had some input into the design. Hm. Just too pedestrian and blah for me...

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa

It just looks all wrong on the front. Not fitted enough. Backless can be done a lot better.

Angelina Joli in Atelier Versace

Slit on the thigh? Tick. Black velvet? Tick.  Yes, her figure looks great but just a shame she turned up in such a cookie cutter dress. And black. Again.

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

Plus: shape, colour, detailing. Minus: strangely shiny, weird ruffles, and  am not a fan of that pushed up cleavage. Dated.

Stacy Keibler in Marchesa

Oops, another Marchesa. I heard people mention "she looks like an Oscar statue" - and that's a good thing?! And what's with that flower/flourish thing?

Special mentions:

These three were not very high-profile (think Diane wasn't even on the red carpet) but I just love them.

Diane Kruger in Calvin Klein

Elegant from afar. So sexy close up.

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab
When I saw her at the very beginning, I thought that was it. We've peaked. Just beautiful.

Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel
The naked dress gone classy.

Secondhand - sorry - Vintage Oscars

Ok, so I am not invited in the sense that I actually will be going there. Instead I shall make do with watching the red carpet on E! and catching up tomorrow with who has won which award. (A girl has to sleep at some point.) 

But if I was, what would I wear? There has been some very exciting speculation about who will wear what and I think Gemma of Catwalkqueen has got it spot on (at least I'm kind of hoping she has).

I know, the stars have dresses at their disposal that are, again, way ahead in the fashion stakes but let's say I had at my disposal the cast-offs from said stars strutting their stuff on the red carpet last year. I am feeling all girly and pastelly at the moment so my top three would be these:

Cate Blanchet in Givenchy

Funny that this dress received rather mixed reviews last year but it feels so right; all sugary pale pink with a floaty skirt and elaborate embellishment.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Lavender lace, dreamy chiffon, floaty layers - what's not to love?!

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein

Metallics are still going strong and this one is just at the right end of shimmer, not too blingy and such a classic, timeless shape.

Right then: Cate, Mila, Gwyneth - fancy swapping some clothes..?

Who needs an eShop?!

Mere hours after I write about the the soon to come Hoss Intropia eStore, they try to entice me back into their store. And bribe me with Cava. Hmmm.

I am loving the pretty, dusky tones...

No! I still want the eShop - so get on with it!

Guava

Don't ask.

Finally coming to a browser near you...

A couple of years ago I came across some stunning shots in a German magazine.

Think 1940's inspired dresses, figure hugging cuts, gorgeous prints. There were  couple of dresses that immediately landed in my "cut out and keep" pile.

A few weeks later, when I actually had the time to go through said cut outs, I noticed that in the past months I had collected about five images from a label called Hoss Intropia. They were mostly dresses, distinctly elegant yet a little quirky.

An online search lead me to a very nicely done homepage and I learned that the brand had been going since 1994. Their quote
  

At Hoss Intropia we believe that the main role of fashion 

is to help every woman be herself.

spoke to me in particular.

---Yes, I love fashion and I also do think of it as art but I also believe that there is a distinct difference between what I see on the catwalk or something that I might wear for fun on a particularly brave day,  and what I need in my wardrobe for day to day feelgood dressing. And that means feeling like I'm wearing "my" clothes and not somebody else's.---

However, the site also revealed no stockist nearby, only three stores in London (Regent Street, Sloane Square and Covent Garden) and no online store.

No major results on Ebay. Some last season lines on yoox. Nothing in Germany either. Sigh.

My next trip to London featured a specifically planned Hoss Intropia visit.  Literally within two steps into the shop, I spotted a dress - and fell in love:

Needless to say, I didn't leave the store without it.

I think it is from the SS11 range and I still love it as much as when I bought it. Possibly even more as it has perked up many gloomy days for me.

Anyway, I have since purchased a couple more items - alas all during trips to that London.

The reason why I am writing now is that, during my last trip to the Regent Street's store, I overheard staff talking about their new online store. And now Hoss Intropia have officially announced the imminent launch of said eShop. How exciting is that?! (If you sign up now, you can even win a £1000 shopping spree! - needless to say, I've done that.)

I can't wait - and if you can't either, here is a little taster...

Butterfly?

What if my blogvirgin blog could just go into a tiny little cocoon and emerge a little time later as a pretty... new and different blog?

So I have been thinking for a (long) while that it's time to say goodbye to this blog. My personal ramblings, entertaining as they might be at times, don't give me enough of a reason to write regularly enough. After all - how often do you write about "stuff"? I've been meaning to set up a slightly more directional blog about fashion/style/nice stuff I like (oh, we are getting so much more directional, right?!) so I will be doing this very shortly. To anybody who stumbles across Blogvirgin and would like to continue to read, I will post a link to my new blog soon, and who knows, I might even be back on here at some point...

Quickie

Well, just a a quick one anyway to say that I am still alive.

I know, I haven't written since - what - February but there have been longer gaps before! What do you complain - nobody ever reads this anyway!

The funny thing is though that not too many entries ago I wrote about "new job" and all that and yet again the biggest news would be that I have got a new job!

I have finally managed to get myself a paid activity that is fashion related! All pretty exciting stuff, even if it is neither Vogue nor some high-end designer and more catering for the masses. Lots of stuff happening though with a UK brand being launched into Germany and me being able to stand in the eye of the storm - so to speak. Bit more turbulence maybe though...

The fact that winter is well on its way also means that I am dusting off my knitting needles & Co and starting to be a bit creative.

The latter could probably also be said for me having bought a pair of those wet-look leggings that are everywhere. I have yet to actually wear them outside the house though but the day will come - hopefully before they are hopelessly dated.

Right, no major red thread this time, just a very quick update.

And as always the feeble promise to write more soon...

Knitting is fab!

You got to be kidding me?!

Yep, I am knitting... again. I did pick up the needles about a year ago and got bored after a while but I am now very excited to be creating things again.

I do feel that I need some sort of creative outlet and as I am woefully bad at drawing, painting, sewing, pottery (pretty much anything that would allow me to be creative) I turned to something that allows me to create in a very structured way.

I am learning to read the instructions (they call them patterns!), do different stitches and teaching myself at the art of self-control and wool management. (Made that last one up - but that should be a recognized skill - can I put it on my CV?)

I am also enjoying building myself a little library of knitting books, although I am trying very hard not to spend too much money on my new/old hobby.

The newly found motivation is probably partially down to the fact that my best friend had two babies a little while ago and it is so great to actually have someone to knit for. Especially when the people receiving the fruits of my labour are so tiny that knitting an entire outfit only takes a few hours.

I solemnly declare that I shall stay true to my stylish roots (ha!) and not knit any tat. All items will be tasteful, nice to look at and any person will have the right to refuse accepting them on grounds of personal taste.

Actually strike that last sentence - I shall be terribly offended if anyone says "thanks - but no thanks"!

Anyway, I am still in work but about to leave (will probably be told off for not coming home sooner and spending time on here but I just remembered that my Blog might just about still exist - pictures of completed projects might follow...) and looking forward to a quiet evening.

And some knitting...

Guilty Pleasures

Shoes

Clothes

Food that's bad for you

America's Next Top Model

All a bit crap, isn't it?
Nothing that's really embarrassing.

Well, maybe there is one... Really dodgy music.

Anyone who meets me for the first time and thinks that there is evidence of some good taste will inevitably be disappointed as soon as the subject of music comes up. Any credibility well and truly goes out out of the window the minute I admit to liking not only bubble gum pop (which seems to be quite acceptable these days) but also awful 80s/90s stuff. Such as When The Rain Begins to Fall by Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora.



Do I need to say more?

How rubbish am I?!

No, don't answer that.

I have promised - vowed in fact - to write more regularly. And I have completely broken that promise. Yet again.

It's not like I have nothing to write about:

I've got a new job.

I went home to see my "little" brother get married and attended the lovely multi-cutural wedding weekend (he got married to a rather beautiful Argentinian girl, I managed to speak German, English, Italian and bits of Spanish).

My mood has been changing from pretty much blissfully "skipping through summer meadows" happy to "I want to hide under my duvet all day" blue.

And I bought a number of rather nice shoes.


So why haven't I written?

Maybe it's because I am so busy, chasing from one social engagement to the next (not true).
Maybe it's because I am sharing my PC with two other people and it's in the kitchen where I just can't get comfortable enough to write down my thoughts (partially true).
Maybe it's because I think that I don't only want to write about rubbish and thinking too much about serious stuff means that I will think too much (pretty much true).
Or maybe it's because the stuff I would like to mention on here is too private and I would not only share my own but other people's lives who might not want that (definitely true).

I am sure I have pondered over this issue before.

One day I will stop writing about writing and just write instead.

Another promise...

Happy Birthday!

Yes, today it is exactly one year ago that I started my blog!



How exciting!

And how sad that I find this exciting...

BTW: The little doggie is supposed to run (which it does if you open it in a new window) but doesn't. So should anyone read this who knows about blogs, html and all that stuff, please tell me why he stands still!

Freeezing!

It's May. In fact - it's nearly June.

And I am cold.

Near the point of digging my winter coat back out. How ridiculous is this weather?! 13°C?, rain and wind?

And there I was writing about a heatwave a couple of weeks ago...

Needless to say that the particular portion of good mood that is associated with nice weather has been used up.

Sleepless

So what do you do if you can't sleep because you have 1,000,000 thoughts running through your head? I used to write in my diary and for some reason that always helped me.

Not really that surprising, since it obviously makes you sort thoughts, literally spells out in front of you whatever was chasing around in your mind, in some kind of immaterial, elusive and rather foggy manner before. Thoughts become facts - or at least theories then.

The question is: Do I really want to do this? Or at least - do I want to do it now? What can of worms will it open I might not be able to cope with at the moment? And is it really that big of a deal? Maybe I am just hormonal (I heard women do get that sometimes), maybe I am nostalgic, emotional or just plain stupid and tomorrow I'll think "whatever was all that about?!"

So if I write it down now, then it might become more than it actually is and I might create a problem and obsess about it (apparantly something else, women are pretty good at) for no reason whatsoever.

So maybe I'll just get a cup of coco and surf the 'net for a while and restrict my thoughts to the ones that fit on the back of a stamp.

And stop obsessing about trying not to obsess about stuff.

Summertime...

It seems like it's finally here. Today we had about over 20°C (actually, according to the BBC it was 25°C!) and I walked outside without a cardigan or a jacket! Most people will think that this is hardly anything worth blogging about but everyone who knows me will agree that this is a rather rare occurence as I am always cold.

Anyway, the sun was shining and although it was very windy, it was very warm. I had forgotten how much weather like this improves my mood. I had the window wound down all the way, sang along to Fleetwood Mac and it didn't even bother me when people cut in front of me. Now that is a real sign about how happy I must have felt!

I know that it is supposed to deteriorate in a couple of days but I am hoping for another nice day tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Lunchtime

Why doesn't Marks & Spencer have sandwich shops somewhere near where I work?

And how is it that Sainsbury's will stop selling a particular sandwich as soon as I start to really like it?

Why can't more places have a bit more choice than cheese & ham, cheese & coleslaw, cheese & cheese, spam & cheese...?

Why do I feel the urge to share this particular issue? I am turning into a grumpy old man.

Ok, woman then...

Secrets? Never!

So how do I know what I can publish on here? I mean, I am only aware of about two people (yeah, that's TWO whole people) reading my blog - maybe one of them even stopped - but I just don't know if someone else might stumble across this and read something that I'd rather they didn't know.

Having added my picture of course doesn't help in keeping this anonymous.

Sitting in a room on my own I may well think that this is a very private experience. Well, it's not. Guess there is a difference between my little lockable diary - yes I had one when I was 12 - and sharing my thoughts online.

So I shall not write about the stuff that's been keeping me awake recently, the dream I had last night or my bank balance. (The latter certainly being the most embarrassing one.) I will not obsess about what I should do about something I am not going to mention, how I should talk to someone I'm not going to name and when I will be going to a place that I am of course not going to be at.

Confused? Yeah...

Heatwave?

According to those clever people at the BBC we are going to get a little heatwave on Thursday. Apparantly we can expect up to 24°C - well, at least London can. Up north we can look forward to about 21°C.

Fine by me.

I'm waiting.

The search endeth here...

Yes, I have found a pair of shoes to go with that lovely dress.

I actually found some shoes a while ago but have (once again) neglected to tell my poor little blog. And I didn't only find one pair of shoes; I found two (more than suitable) candidates.

So here they are...

This pair is from Office and my second choice. I think they are at their best with a black pencil skirt and some other secretary-related paraphernalia (thinking of blouse and bracelet here rather than note pad) but I do believe they look lovely with my dress.





My first choice are actually these babies from TopShop and I think they need no further introduction, especially since I saw them in numerous magazines since I bought them. Coincidence? I think not!




Should anyone wonder whether I always take pictures of my shoes, be it to stick on the front of shoe boxes or to post on here, I'd have to say "no". It just so happened that my usual shopping friend went to a conference and got so bored that he wanted to know what kind of shoes I bought. I know what you're thinking and no, he's not gay.

Anyway, I obliged and contorted myself to get the two shots where I actually wear the shoes. Just goes to show that my life is even more boring than his, since I had nothing better to do. Before I forget, I would also like to point out that I am wearing the sparkly socks for presentation purposes, i.e. the shoes' details became much clearer on my crappy phone camera once I put them on, and not for real.

Although... I think I might just give it a go.

Shoes!

I can't believe I managed to write for so long - even if not that regularly - without even mentioning how obsessed I can get with clothes... shoes... fashion in general basically. I don't think a day goes by without me cooing or squeeking (apparently not a particularly nice sound) over something I see on tv or in one of my 4.000.000 magazines I buy every month. I'm sure some people call me shallow for that, but I'd rather see myself as someone who loves beautiful things - it's all art, really.

Anyway, I now need a fabulous pair of shoes to go with my lovely dress and I have a few favourites. I considered briefly posting the links to those on here but then decided against it because - hah! - what happens if anyone reads this (does anyone read this?) and falls in love with the same pair of heels that I want? And what if they have the same size and snap up the last pair?!
A dilemma best avoided!

However, I have one fab shoe-site, which I am prepared to share: shoewawa. It's a blog-thingie just about shoes and contains such features as Ask Ms Shoewawa, High Street vs Designer and Ugly Shoes.

It's just again one of those things where you got to think "If only I would have thought of that first!"

Well ok, maybe just me then.

Wedding Plans

So my little brother is getting married. Well, he's not really that little anymore, he will be turning 27 in August, but he'll always be my little brother.

It's weird - I don't actually know whether I ever want to get married or not but I always assumed that if I'd get married, I'd do it before my brother. So if I wait until I'm 45 and then decide to get hitched he'll wait until then and get married after me. All a bit daft, huh?

Anyway, it should make my parents happy, because, let's face it, although they haven't really been asking for grandchildren constantly they're bound to expect them pretty soon. My brother and his lovely girlfriend (sorry, fiance) should now be taking care of this. Not that I think it'll happen too soon but certainly sooner than it would happen with me. Scary accidents excluded.

Anyway, I went into town last weekend with a friend and thought I'd have a look for an appropriately stylish wedding outfit.

(See, how I manage to turn a conversation that could so easily become serious and not superficial into something shallow and bla! You could say it's a gift.)

I expected him to lose the will to live after the first girly shop but he proved quite useful when he (!) picked out a rather nice dress.
Karen Millen.
I tried it on.
It fitted.
I liked it.
He confirmed the fact that it fitted and that it was nice.
I bought it.
...And a jacket.

Bad girl!

Although I had been moving away slightly from the 100% TopShop look and veered more towards River Island and the odd designer piece, I hadn't quite put myself into the Karen Millen box yet since I always thought of this label as "very nice, but very grown up" - which I'm not.

And when I paid for the dress it kinda dawned on me that either I was more grown-up than I thought I was or that Karen Millen had suddenly turned hip.

I choose to go with the second option.
But the jury is still out on whether I am ever seriously gonna try to wear leggings (or rather footless tights) and a mini skirt.

We will have to see...

In lieu of actually writing something interesting myself...

Louis XIV Music Video Codes

Playing: Louis XIV - Pledge of Allegiance
Myspace Layouts Music Video Codes

I kinday like this one, probably because it reminds me so much of being 16 or 18 and not having much else to do but hang around, listen to music and eat lots of sweets.

Gute Vorsaetze fuer's neue Jahr

That's German and means as much as "good resolutions for the new year".

Maybe mine should be to improve my English.

Every time I have been at home for a bit I come back sounding more and more like a foreigner - which of course I am. So there.

I had a lovely time at home although some of it was spent being poorly in bed. Typical, isn't it? Working all the time, then having some time off - only to be sick...
Anyway, Christmas was the usual family get-together. Of course it is sad to see that every year the circle gets a bit smaller but I shouldn't complain since I had all my grandparents for a long time, much longer than many other people I know. Even my great-grandfather lived until I was about 12 years old.

So as I said: Christmas was all Christmas tree, cookies, music (dad playing the organ and my "little" brother playing the trumpet) and of course lots of food and pressies!

A few days later we even had a proper winter wonderland outside thanks to the 10+cms of snow, unfortunately that was gone within a couple of days.

For New Year's Eve I went to a restaurant/hotel with my family where we danced the night away. Well, how often do I get to see my dad a bit tipsy?! (the answer is "not very often" by the way!).

My birthday was a bit scary this time (big one with a "0") but probably the nicest I have had for years. I had my family and best friends around on the day and they spoiled me with lovely and thoughtful gifts. I think at some point I nearly cried... We had copious amounts of cake and for dinner we had raclette. After that we played "Who wants to be a millionaire" and generally just laughed a lot.

At the weekend we went out to my favourite club ever - the Schwimmbad (see below) and I got all silly and dancy. I got the DJ to play a few of my favourite songs and it was nice to finally introduce a friend of mine into the wonderful world of the SMC. I had been going on and on about it for years and kept annoying him by calling all sorts of songs played on the radio "Schwimmbad songs", so it was nice to prove that the mystical place actually exists.

Anyway, it was all lovely!

Resolutions for the new year then. Definitely to write more in here!

Lack of inspiration...

...led me to copying someone I know. So here is the look into my deepest secrets. Not that scary really. Just a tad embarrassing maybe...

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion 60% Stability 26% Orderliness 36% Accommodation 56% Interdependence 76% Intellectual 63% Mystical 63% Artistic 63% Religious 10% Hedonism 56% Materialism 90% Narcissism 70% Adventurousness 50% Work ethic 70% Self absorbed 63% Conflict seeking 70% Need to dominate 63% Romantic 90% Avoidant 36% Anti-authority 56% Wealth 56% Dependency 76% Change averse 76% Cautiousness 43% Individuality 83% Sexuality 43% Peter pan complex 70% Physical security 83% Physical Fitness 64% Histrionic 90% Paranoia 83% Vanity 76% Hypersensitivity 90% Female cliche 90%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Stability results were low which suggests you are very worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious.

Orderliness results were moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extraversion results were moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

trait snapshot:

craves attention - at times...

messy - definitely!

open - yes

rash - ...and probably regrets it later

irritable - some ppl just know how to push my buttons...

likes large parties - definitely prefer smaller get-togethers

low self control - only around things & ppl that I have a weakness for... ok then...

weird - some say so...

fragile - is this really something I can judge myself. Others say I *seem* fragile.

does not like to be alone - depends, sometimes I love it

emotionally sensitive - yep, say the wrong thing and I...

worrying - only about things I shouldn't worry...

depressed - think it's just sometimes the lack of daylight.

heart over mind - yep

does not respect authority - ahm... apparantly I never have.

dependent - in what way?

not rule conscious - try not to think about it

not good at saving money - so baaad

more interested in relationships than intellectual pursuits - sometimes relationships can be very intellectual!

likes to fit in - don't really care...

very social - depends on mood

frequently second guesses self -

phobic - not really

suspicious - only when there's something to be suspisious about!

not careful - I know *sigh*

outgoing - can be...

vain - every now and then

compassionate - for the right cause, yes!

aggressive - better than a push-over. But hold on: I'm one of those as well!?

likes to make fun - sorry...

hates to lose - who doesn't? But am not a bad looser!

No excuses

I know - I haven't written for ages!

And there would have been so much to write about...

In July/August I went on a holiday:
First we went to Budapest where we watched F1 and wandered around the beautiful city, then Vienna (also gorgeous, if a bit too pristine) and last but not least we spent some time at my parents where we went on some walks and stuff.

This alone could have filled pages...

But not enough, last weekend I went to my 10 year Abitur (German A-levels/highschool) reunion. 10 years - blimey! It was really nice, if a bit weird, to see everybody after such a long time. Most of them I really hadn't seen since 1995.
Watching a medley of (now digitized) videos that documented various excursions and school trips, made me realize how much I have grown up and changed (did I really ever think that a perm is a good idea?).
Seeing how many of them were married and hearing some of the girls talk about their kids made me realize how little I had grown up.
So right now I'm feeling ... just right. :)

btw: Should anyone actually read this: I will try and keep more up to date with writing in future - especially if there is something to write about!

Lovely weather makes me smile

It does. It puts me in a better mood.

Getting up in the morning is *so* much easier when the sun is shining.

I can wind the car windows down and cruise, playing "Boys of Summer" and all kinds of happy dance music.

I can dig out treasures from my wardrobe that I haven't worn for a year.
Or even better: buy a completely new outfit for next to nothing (shopping for winter clothes is so much more expensive!).

There is just one thing that annoys me (of course there is):

Why is it that everyone complains once the temperature rises above 20°C? It *is* summer!

And why do we have to put the aircon on overdrive to cool down all rooms to around 17°C so I actually have to get dressed up when going inside?

And why the comment "If it was always this warm/if we could rely on weather like this we wouldn't have to go abroad for a holiday!"
Is the only reason to go abroad really just the weather? I always enjoy experiencing a different culture, speaking (or at least hearing) a different language, taking in the sights etc. Nice weather is a major plus but not the be-all and end-all.

I for my part am loving this weather. Wish I had a bit more time off work though...

When your brain doesn't work...

...not even chocolate helps.

It didn't on Friday anyway.

At all.

My flatmate felt just the same so we kept asking ourselves if it was contagious. Maybe a particular cruel way of mother nature telling us that we are slowly syncronizing.

All we could do was sit on the couch and watch Will & Grace and Friends. Anything more high-brow would have been too much.

Nibbling on meringues and chocolate did *not* work.

So even chocolate has its limitations.

Chocolate!

I can feel my legs this morning.

Not because I did what I had planned to do and went out dancing & drinking, but because I was dragged out for a country walk on Saturday by a very brave man. I'm calling him brave as my mood on the day was anything else but good. Call it hormones, call it bad night sleep I was less than agreeable to pretty much any- and everything and I guess he didn’t really know whether I was going to shout at him or start crying any minute.

I would like to add here that I am trying to be bad tempered for as little as possible and hate it if people excuse bad behaviour or just being downright rude with “well, I’m just in a bad mood today”. Doesn’t hurt to say “please” and “thank you”- a smile, of course, is always optional.

Anyway, we drove out and went for a walk near Bakewell and I think he felt rather proud when, towards the end of it, I was smiling. When I then discovered a Belgian Chocolate Shop on the way back to the car I was nearly all better, spending over £20 on all kinds of sumptuously filled shapes. Said friend must have still felt slightly guilty as he insisted on paying half – maybe he just wanted to make sure he can nick a few…

Anyway, is there actually any point to this entry?

Probably not but maybe that chocolate really is magical...

Flashbacks

Counting up money (sadly not mine) and listening to yet another dodgy 80s online radio station I just experienced the most intense flashback.

They are playing Sunglasses at Night (apparently by Corey Hart).
I am wearing a pair of 501s that, with a 30" waist, are at least 4 sizes too big, a dodgy print top and some weird leather straps around my right wrist.

Dancing with my eyes closed, I'm at the Schwimmbad - my favourite club in the whole world.

I'm sure everyone has a club like that.

One where it was cheap to get in and nearly as cheap to get drunk. It was a bit scruffy and it certainly wasn't considered "trendy". But what mattered was that the DJ played all your favourite songs, so much in fact that most of the time you knew what was coming next. You knew the bouncers and they knew you. At some point it didn't even feel like going out, it was more like dancing in your very big front room. That had huge speakers. And disco lights.

I remember passing a whole A4 sheet full of requests to our DJ Jochen, who I was desperately in love with for about a year. He happily oblidged and played nearly all titles for us. Apart from Take That. He said he was afraid that people might throw things. Oh, and he never fell in love with me.

Anyway, I still go there from time to time although I feel a tad old by now - well, those kids could nearly be mine, even if that would have made me a *very* young mum. The music isn't quite the same any more, even if the odd play of Long Train Running makes it all worthwhile. I have stopped wearing 501s. I'm still wearing the odd dodgy print top. Jochen has long since retired from his DJing throne. I am not in love with him anymore but we are still in touch - well, I do send a birthday card each year.

Sometimes I feel like there is a void in my life where the Schwimmbad used to be. Monica, Rachel & Co. have Central Perk. The people in Boston have Cheers.

I had the Schwimmbad.

Nowadays I get with a night at my favourite club - and flashbacks when listening to dodgy 80s radio stations.

Spontaneity...

So when I came home on Friday and my flatmate said something along the lines of "fancy sitting on the road in Stretford, listening to REM?" I wasn't quite sure what she was on about. As it turned out, REM were playing open air at the Lancashire Cricket Club. Since it was quite a nice evening anyway I decided to go with it and not only did we end up on the street in front but thanks to an - obviously desperate - ticket seller, we ended up getting in for £10 each. Pretty good.

Bopping away with a few thousand fans (or opportunists?) I felt all young and spontaneous.

I felt myself reminded of the times when your plans changed as often as the phone rang. "Party at Stephan's? No, his parent's are in! We're gonna be somewhere in the forest and then in Michael's vineyard!"
You never had to plan for food or drink either, since petrol stations had a good assortment (note that petrol stations in Germany are permitted to sell alcohol).

These days I usually plan a night out about 3 days in advance, thinking about where to go, who to call, what to wear. Oh, and what I'd miss on telly.

Sad really.

I shall therefore be more spontaneous, dig my rollerskates out, kiss whoever I like whenever I like, speak my mind more often and wear clothes just how they come out of the wardrobe not worrying about the concept of an outfit.

Or maybe I'll just grow up and make a plan about how and when to be spontaneous.

Very slow evening at work...

...so I've been browsing other blogs and someone I knew did these tests.

Inspiring...



I'm not quite sure how I am "totally cool". Most people who know me will probably disagree with that since I am a bit of a geek. But who knows who wrote this test...

Guilty pleasures?

I have fallen into a TV black hole.

No ER.
No Desperate Housewives.
Twin Peaks DVD's have not yet arrived.
Friends is finished.
Frasier is finished.
Sex and the City is finished.

So I am finding myself drawn towards watching America's Next Top Model. I know it is dead cheesy. I know the girls are over dramatic. I know Tyra is so full of crap sometimes. And yet I am putting up with all of this because I am fascinated by the photoshoots, the incredible changes after the girls have been through make-up & hair and the fashion shows.

I just gotta be careful not to pick up any of the language. Someone please hit me if I ever call them girlfriend.

The other thing I started watching last night - as I lay on the couch feeling dizzy and sick with mild food poisoning - is The LWord. The last time I attempted to get into it I found it all a bit too... predictable. Of course it is full of gorgeous & sexy young females doing gorgeous & sexy things to each other but it felt like that was all there was to it. Last night there were actually some things happening - on top of all the sexy stuff.

Which - let's be honest - we wouldn't want to miss.

Monday morning...

How hard was it to get out of bed this morning?

After another fab weekend with lots of cheesy pop & dance, some drink and a subsequent (absolutely necessary as hungover) lazy Sunday with lounging & vegging on the couch, I am still a bit confused as to what I am doing here. Having been all hot and sweaty on Saturday night and wrappend in a blanket most of yesterday, today just seems very cold and un-cosy...

Hot drink, I think...

Tired...

Only a few years ago I used to be able to sustain myself on relative little sleep over a fairly long space of time. This was particularly handy when I was stuck in a relationship that had a turned a bit argument heavy, which meant I never got more than 2 hours sleep each night but had to get up and go to work each morning. Although this went on for quite a few months, somehow I still functioned.

When I was even younger I was able to party/stay up for nights on end and still go to school/study/work and have a good time.

Not anymore these days. Didn't get much sleep Thursday night so I was tired all day yesterday. Stayed at a friend's last night watching The Old Grey Whistle Test on DVD and just conked out on the couch. However, I was still "up" at 3am trying to listen to Supertramp and keep a conversation going as I was actually in the mood for a bit of a chat, a drink & music.

Anyway, this morning I literally had to roll myself out of bed to get to work and I am now sitting here with a serious cup of coffee trying to prevent my eyes to shut.

Was planning and looking forward to go out tonight so I will have a nap the minute I get home.

God. What a wimp I have turned into!

So do we know now?

The last episode of Twin Peaks has been watched and although we kind of know what happened to Laura we are still now not supposed to be sure. Lynch ends the story in a way to tell us that there will be more to come. So there.

I decided that if I can get hold of series 2 I will definitely like this ending as it might have the capacity of extending my excitement and offer me more twists and turns.

If I cannot see how it continues I will still like the ending but get annoyed with the fact that I will have to confirm via the wonderful www if what I think happened is true.

If I cannot find any decent info on the www or think that Lynch really just got bored and gave it all a rubbish ending I will be disappointed and cry. Even if that makes me a loser.

Icky icky sore throat

I've got a sore throat and am starting to lose my voice.

Some people who know me might argue that this isn't necessarily a bad thing... However, I am planning on having a fun weekend with a night out in Manchester on Saturday and not being curled up on the couch for most of the time.

Lemon tea... Echinacea... VitaminC...

I've got mail!

Not just email. Nope. Proper post mail. Miss E & Mr N sent me a cd full of pictures from when they were over here a few days ago. Made my day. Yay! :)

Now all I have to do is find some time to figure out how to post some on here...

Overtime?

It is Tuesday 7.15pm and I am still in work. Should have gone home at 5pm made some pasta, opened a bottle of wine and watched the last installment of Twin Peaks.

Instead I decided to help someone to box back issues of journals. For example the title Nature, going back all the way to 1948. And now I am very dusty. Goes to show that really no one will look at anything written a long time ago, even if it was so profound that the author thought it could change the world we live in.

Not that I ever think that. But you never know.

Oh to be concise...

I wish I could write.

I know I can write. Pen & paper, keyboard... whatever.

I can even string letters together to form words and then words will form sentences. And then sentences will form a letter/memo/report. I'm sure you know what I mean. But for one reason or another I always end up rambling. I want to say something and the words just conspire against me saying something completely different from what is in my head.

And then I continue trying to set it straight, digging myself a hole so deep I couldn't possibly ever get out of it.

I once knew someone who knew words. He loved words and words loved him. They never conspired against him. If he wanted to say something nice you'd know it. If he wanted to hurt you you'd know it, too. The Thesaurus was his bible. Maybe it still is. Although we still speak every now and then he isn't really part of my life anymore. All a bit sad but that's just the way it goes. I'm sure he's happy and that's nothing less of what he deserves. I just wish I could have learned more from him.

And there I am rambling again.

I shall try harder, edit more and learn the words that are still missing.

And go back to writing my report from which I needed a break.

The mystery continues

The last episode of Desperate Housewives on Wednesday. So we finally know what happened to Dana/Zach/Deirdre & Co. But we are left with a stupid cliffhanger being informed by a friendly Channel4 voice that Desperate Housewives will return at the beginning of next year?

Excuse me?! Next year?!

A cliffhanger over a week - fine. You are excited and need to know what's happening. You fight the urge to check a spoiler site. You talk to your friends about it, speculating if Ross is going to leave Emily for Rachel/Buffy is really dead/Mike is going to get shot.
All of the above presuming that you are a sad person like me who actually cares that much about a TV programme.

But several months? What exactly is the point? You will be excited for about a week. Then you will forget about it and continue to live your life - should you have one. In absence of that you will find another programme to concentrate on. Or fill the void with something even more meaningless. Like knitting.

Anyway.
More mystery in Twin Peaks. But the solution to each cliffhanger is only as far as the next DVD and since I am currently in possession of the whole set I can live with that.
We still don't now who killed Laura and I am still really enjoying this. I am just hoping that the ending won't disappoint me too much. Like we were all trapped in one of Cooper's bizarre dreams and Laura is actually alive - but has dyed her hair brown...

Strange feeling

Do you know what it’s like when you had a dream and the feeling you had remains with you for the rest of the day?

I’m having one of those days today. I can’t quite remember what I dreamt about but the feeling that remains is quite clear, if strange, since I don’t know what it is directed at. Does this make any sense? Didn’t think so.

Well, I am feeling a bit sad but hopeful as if something bad has happened but soon enough there will be a positive turn *because* of this. All quite bizarre since actually *nothing* has happened and I shouldn’t be feeling anything…

I’m confused.

I think I was too young when Twin Peaks came out...

...to be really interested. Well, maybe I just wasn't interested because I had other stuff to do.

Anyway, yesterday evening I started watching Twin Peaks with a friend for the first time. I thought I'd pretty much know what to expect: strange people in a strange town talking to each other backwards. Well, maybe not exactly, but I certainly expected a high level of weirdness and generally characters being out of touch with reality most of the time. I wasn't quite sure if it was going to be "good and interesting weird" or just "haven't got a clue what's going on weird".
I also remembered the combination of Lynch and MacLachlan in Blue Velvet and hoped that it would be nothing like it because I found BV tediously boring and thought that it was one of the most overrated films ever.

Anyway, I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy it, whether Lynch went a bit OTT and whether it was going to be one of those pretentious "you had to be there" dramas. But I got to say that so far I enjoyed it immensely and thankfully it did *not* remind me of Blue Velvet. It actually reminded me a lot of Desperate Housewives and a number of other more recent films/dramas/series, which might be a coincidence but I guess that Lynch has inspired some of the younger filmmakers.

I think we watched the pilot and the first 2 episodes after that and now I am eagerly anticipating the next installment. Cooper just informed us at the end of the last episode that he knew who the killer was (ha! and there was one of those famous dreams!) but considering that there are still quite a few CDs left I assume he is either going to be wrong or he won't tell us for a while.

Tonight is Desperate Housewives night though (last episode of series 1!) so it will probably be a few days before I find out more.... what a sad life I must lead ;)