What I've Watched: sass, nerds and the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

10 February 2020 • , , , , ,

Couple of facts: it’s been a while since I posted about what I’ve been watching… and I’ve watched a lot of stuff recently. Ooofftt. This may take a few goes. Bear with, etc. 



'Aladdin'

…I don’t have to really summarise the plot of one of Disney’s most popular films, now, do I? Good.

Yep, I did it. I saw a live action remake of a Disney classic. Not just that, one of my favourite Disney classics. No, I’m not a huge Disney fan, but I know what I like – and I LOVE Aladdin. So obviously I went in with walls up, and expectations low.

It turned out to be pretty good. Will Smith was NOT Robin Williams, he was his own genie, his own character. That was my biggest anxiety about the film. That, and Jasmine’s sass. Well, she was plenty sassy, but I wasn’t keen on the lengths Disney went to basically shoving it in our face that this Jasmine was an independent woman who longs to be truly empowered and literally given the keys to the kingdom. The new song they gave her? Really OTT. 

My rating: I miss Robin Williams more than ever.


‘A threadbare magic-carpet ride to nowhere special, with Will Smith as a blue genie.’ – The New York Times.
'Booksmart'

The hype is real. Olivia Wilde's first go at directing was a triumph; the two lead gals rocked it, Phoebe’s Lisa Kudrow’s character was adorable, the actual plot and message of the whole thing was excellent, and each character was hilarious in their own way. My favourite was Gigi, the stoner princess who may have also been a genuine genius. Also I am such a Lizzo lover, hearing ‘Boys’ play over a party scene was very exciting for me.

My rating: stupidly (and cleverly) funny. 
'Booksmart review – fast, funny and feminist', The Guardian.

How long have I had Netflix? A good few years. How long have people been telling me to watch 'GLOW'? A good few years. How long have I been staring at it in my List, and wondering when would be a good time to start it? pfffttt. 

Honestly, I'm quite mad at myself for waiting so long. It's quite brilliant. All kinds of women - 'serious' actor types, wrestling fans, proud sluts... wolf indentifiers... this show's got 'em all. They all have their own stories, developments, quirks and complications to muddle through. My favourite? It's a tie between Sheila and Carmen. Okay fine, with a little Rhonda thrown in too, because I am half British after all. I also weirdly became affectionate towards pain-in-the-a** Ruth by the end. And I loved Debbie's arc, but then she also irked me a bit throughout. I also have a weird crush on Sam, but then, don't we all...? 


'GLOW Season 4: Netflix Renewed for Final Season & What To Expect’, What’s On Netflix.


Anyway, moving swiftly on. I well and truly noshed down on 'GLOW' for a couple of weeks, and was soon at the end of series 3 in a tearful daze, screeching at the screen because I hadn't done my research and known when exactly I would be 100% caught up...!? Arghh. Bring on series 4. 

 3 series, 10 episodes which vary in length but are generally 30-40 mins. 
My rating: gorgeous ladies indeed, beautiful and hilarious stories too.




So, that's what I've been watching lately. More to come soon. Are you liking these posts? Wanna gimme some feedback? Goodness me, I love feedback. I thirst for it. Tweet me or comment with anything you got. 

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Dear Evan Hansen; a review.

6 February 2020 • , , , ,

* I was given tickets to this show in exchange for a review; that in no way affects my opinion that this show was utterly brilliant and devastating and magical. Read on for more gushing. *


Last night (Wednesday 5th of February) I was lucky enough to get a pair of tickets to see a show I’d only heard truly great things about, and had actually had on my radar for a while – ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. 





Here’s some background for you…


Transferring to the West End following a hugely successful US premiere (and Tony wins), including a sold-out national tour, the heartfelt story follows teenager Evan Hansen as he tries to cope with a lie that spirals out of control.

What does it feel like to not fit in? Evan Hansen has spent his whole life feeling invisible; coming from a broken home with only a few friends, he wishes for a completely different life. When a letter he wrote that was never meant to be seen is found, a dangerous lie rapidly spirals out of control. Soon, Evan it getting everything he has ever dreamed of. But at what cost?

The book of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is by Steven evenson, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – who created the scores for the incredibly successful ‘La La Land’ and ‘The Greatest Showman’. With a soundtrack that is already beloved by fans across the world, the production features emotional songs including “Waving Through a Window”, “Requiem” and “You Will Be Found”.

Michael Greif (‘Rent’, ‘Next to Normal’, ‘If/Then’) directs the musical, which also features choreography by Danny Mefford, orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, set design by David Korins, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Japhy Weideman and sound design by Nevin Steinberg.


The casting of this production was pretty much perfect. And, I mean, Sam Tutty. Can we just talk about this miraculous human? Okay. He was utterly adorable and completely believable in his awkward and pained portrayal of Evan. His erratic way of speaking and the uncomfortable way he would carry himself throughout was heartbreaking and hilarious, all at once; his interactions with the other cast members were all wonderful. My theatre date (a big Evan Hansen fan) also noted how he’d mirror some of Connor Murphy’s (Doug Colling’s) movements when they had scenes together that happened in his own mind. Little touches like that can be huge in the overall impressions of the production, and it’s no surprise that Sam is getting only the best reviews for his West End debut (!!).


My date for the evening; the lovely Stevie.


Generally, the acting and direction was all superb, and almost every song made me want to gasp; they were all so full of heart and many of them were unlike anything I'd heard before in how they changed tone and pace so quickly. There were moments in the show when I genuinely felt a sharp pain in my chest and my tummy ached. I didn't cry at any point (although I did tear up at the very end; more on that to come) but I think that's because my mind was so focused on the story, and I was feeling so much in my body, y'know? 

Okay. Let’s get into the set – high concept to say the least; all digital displays, sliding platforms and hectic holograms, oh my. Throughout the production, the characters were surrounded by flickering images, projections and… a lot of darkness. And I think it was that intense darkness that (spoiler alert) made it so impactful when the set suddenly became bright and clear towards the end. When all the social media screens finally gave way to pure blue light, and hopeful sprigs that would someday become tall trees… that was so powerful. I also really felt the madness when the Facebook posts went viral, and strangers’ voices filled the space saying things like ‘I needed to see this today’, ‘if you watch one video today, make it this’ and ‘share to save a life’ (I’m paraphrasing, obvs). That whole part of the show told us so much about the age and culture we live in, and how crowded our brains get with all this digital content. It’s really quite scary, when you think about it. At least, that’s what this social media addict drew from it…

A poignant moment for me was when the cast all gathered together at the end to bow; it’s always a part of the show I look forward to because you’re given a glimpse of the people behind the characters, and for just a minute, you get to see how proud they are of what they’ve made together. This curtain call was especially magical to see, because the characters had all been through so much, and I felt they were so ‘together’ as they greeted the standing ovation (which was similar to Come From Away in how bloody FAST it happened!). Sam Tutty (Evan) also made me smile when he stuck his tongue out (in an exhausted-but-elated kind of way) as we applauded him. 

Also, I have just found out that last night was the debut of the new Heidi Hansen (Evan’s mum), Hannah Lindsey. I did wonder if she was a cover perhaps, because Tutty gave her a separate clap after he bowed, and slung a proud arm around her as they strolled offstage together – but no, it was her first time! Hannah, you were breathtaking. Honestly. Your scenes hit me hardest, I think. 




Thank you so much to Seatplan for the tickets to this brilliant production. Readers, if you want to see this show, it's booking until May this year and I really, really advise that you get on it ASAP. And when you've seen it, let's discuss it at length because I have so many feelings...! 

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The Importance of Public Libraries*.

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* This post was written by a contributor *

image source


There are many important institutions in today’s society; hospitals and other healthcare practices, plus court houses and town halls. Where would we be without those!? Those two industries typically get plenty of shout-outs and praise, but there’s another social institution that arguably does just as much for the community: libraries! While they can be viewed, primarily, as a place where you can borrow books, they can provide so much more. I bet you our society would be much poorer without these integral buildings that help to promote engagement, both with oneself and with other people. 

Libraries provide public spaces where friends can gather in a welcoming and warm environment. They can also foster connections between strangers that obviously could not happen if they were both sitting at home. One of the other ways that libraries help society is the way they can empower individuals – we can get health guidance, conduct research, and find essential tools that help us to improve our careers or pursue higher education. 

The good news is that libraries are valued by most societies – in America, more people visited public libraries than they did cinemas in the past year, and of course a huge percentage of the UK population are loyal to their locals, too. 


To learn more about libraries and the integral role they play in society, take a look at the infographic from the University of Southern California below. 



Infographic Design By University of Southern California

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Small But Big; GRL MADE.

15 January 2020 • , , ,

I am thrilled to have interviewed the lovely Hannah, of GRL MADE, for this instalment in the series. She and I connected on Instagram a while ago, and I’ve been obsessed with her content ever since. GRL MADE is a collection of the loveliest embroidered clothing, with the perfect twist – everything is vegan, feminist and fun. 


Photo: GRL MADE


Hey, Hannah! Thanks so much for taking part in ‘Small But Big’. I absolutely love what you do, and the messages you put out there for all to see, on tees. When did you start the business up? 
Thanks Grace! I started GRL MADE officially in August this year, but it’s something that has been in the pipeline for a few years. I’ve always sewn and I started to teach myself how to hand embroider around 3 years ago and I made a few t-shirt designs, but it never really felt exactly right. It took me a bit of time to figure out the brand and exactly what I wanted to do with it and eventually I found machine embroidery. I bought myself a second hand machine from Ebay back in February and it took me 4- 5 months of researching and testing (and breaking many needles) to learn how to use it properly and start making designs I could actually sell! 



What has been the biggest surprise you’ve encountered since you started GRL MADE? 
I guess it would be how much there is to learn about machine embroidery. There are so many different elements that go with it. What backing to use with what material. What size needle to use with what thread. What tension to use with which design. I’m learning as I go and I’ve wanted to throw my machine out the window sometimes, but when I look back at the fact that at the beginning of the year, I’d never even seen an embroidery machine, to the progress I’ve made, I feel pretty darn proud!



It’s hard to choose, but my favourite product might just be the simple ‘Vegan Pizza’ tee. Closely followed by the plant milks tee – oh and the tote bag, of course. Do you have a favourite item in your Etsy shop?! 
The milks list seems to be one of the most popular designs actually, which I didn’t predict at all! My favourite would have to be one of my new designs, the ‘I really like animals’ tee. It’s so simple, but so true! Coming in second, would be the ‘Serial Plant Killer’ tee. It seems like a lot of people can relate to that design!


Photo: GRL MADE


What is one of your biggest dreams for this shop? 

My biggest dream would be that one day I can work on this as my full time job. It seems crazy in my head and I have to make myself believe that it could happen, but only if I really work at it. I dream of having my own studio space (or even a space that isn’t a desk in my bedroom, which is the current situation) to create all day long!


Anything else you want to share? The floor is yours!

I have lots of ideas for GRL MADE in 2020. I would like to sell at a vegan festival or market so I can meet customers in person, create my own website and start to offer an up-cycling service where I can embroider pre-loved garments and give them a new lease of life. I just want to get really creative and see where it takes me.
Photo: GRL MADE

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Thank you so much for answering my questions, Hannah. You are an absolute boss queen. Readers, you can follow this brilliant woman and her work at @grl.made on Instagram, or visit etsy.com/uk/shop/GRLmade!

You can check out the previous Small But Big posts HERE. Are you enjoying them so far? It’s still early days, but I have high hopes for this project-within-a-project. Tweet me or comment with any feedback, please!


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2020; started with some bangs.

12 January 2020 • ,


Oh, hello you. (oops, did you read that in your head in a certain kinda-hot psycho's voice? My bad)

Welcome to 2020, my friends. How are we all doing? Is anyone else kinda hyped for this new year? (notice I didn’t terrify you by saying ‘new decade’, as everyone on social media seems to be doing recently. You’re welcome)

So, ermm, here’s what I have achieved so far this year:
  • I’ve moved out and am now renting a place all by myself, for the first time.
  • I started the year with a new contract at work – an extra few juicy hours.
  • I recorded my first episode of my new podcast (more on this soon!)
  • I've spoken on a panel at the launch party of a book I contributed to.

You could say it’s all downhill from here, but honestly, I’m only just getting started. Yes, I know that sounds horrendously like a ‘new year new me’ spiel, but in all honesty, I feel like while 2019 was the year the universe finally stopped messing with me, 2020 is going to be the year it properly gets behind me and pushes forward. 




It’s going to be hard, though. For starters, I’ve only just moved into the new place and my excitement for fulfilling a lifelong dream of living alone has quickly been replaced by a sh*t ton of stress about money. I’m also finding it hard to settle into the beautiful little flat, because it doesn’t quite feel ‘mine’ yet. I need to properly fill the empty space with my unique, bonkers energy – and a few bits of quirky second hand furniture – and that’s hard to do when you’re so busy with work, and trying to keep an eye on (/straight up avoid) all expenses. I know the place will feel right eventually, and I can’t wait for that day. In the meantime, I am really enjoying bringing friends round and hearing their excitement when they see the space, and me in it.

I’m also worried about keeping on top of my freelance work – and hopefully getting much more of it – with all my other obligations, and with all the changes that are happening around me right now. That being said I did tweet recently, with the aim of magically manifesting, that I’d love to do more speaking/hosting and stuff like that. So yes, please hit me up if you can think of any events I’d be good for!? Also, writing. I want to actually finish writing something* this year, and be proud of it, and make it into something. I want to master the art of pitching, developing, editing – everything. I’m actually hoping to start up an informal writing group with a few of my local writer friends, too (looking at you, Salisbury and Johnson).

*I actually just closed this document because I was getting frustrated with how rambly and word-vomit-ish it was, but made myself reopen it so I don’t have to pick it up again tomorrow when I’m out of this mindset. C’mon, Grace. WORK AT IT.

Right, manifesting/shameless plugging over. For now. I’m not quite done stressing, though. Because there is suddenly so much to stress about. I have gone from living rent-free (full transparency here; I didn’t even contribute towards bills or food when I was living at Latter HQ. I know, I was very lucky) to suddenly being completely self-sufficient and so damn responsible!? For everything!? I hope I get over this horrible ‘frantic paddling in deep water’ feeling soon, because honestly my skin is really suffering with it, and my bowels aren’t happy either.

Time for some brightness: I was so happy to have such a lovely response to my tweet about living alone, and my slight fear of feeling lonely and/or becoming a hermit. Thank you, my gang. I am always open to receiving any tips you readers may have when it comes to living independently – and of course, sustainably; I got so much joy from filling up glass jars in my local zero waste shop with lentils, rice, muesli and apricots, oh my. So yeah, comments and tweets are always welcome. I’m also going to be taking some sexy photos of my place when it’s properly come together, so keep an eye on my Instagram for that maybe. And on here, of course. Because that’s another aim for 2020, to write more openly and freely on this blog, and hopefully get that same feeling I got when I created this space at just 17 years old – that my feelings were being well and truly let out through writing. 


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Travel more stylishly! *

10 January 2020


(This post was written by a contributor, not me.)

While you may be a seasoned traveller, you may find that from time to time, travelling can get a bit stale. You may be one that likes to frequent the same destination each year, or perhaps you choose a new place with every vacation. It doesn’t really matter which category you fall into; sometimes we just need something new.


This post will provide you with a few ways you can add a bit of style to your travel. By simply incorporating a few of the things we are going to talk about today into your next vacation, you will find that you are seeing the world in a brand new way before you know it!


Image from Pexels


MIX IT UP!

If you, like many people, are a creature of habit, then this will often start to show when you are on vacation too. If you love nothing more than finding a beautiful beach and staying on it for the duration of your holiday, there’s nothing wrong with that, but if that’s the case then you probably shouldn’t spend too much on the trip.

The truth is, if you do the same thing for every destination that you visit, then you aren’t necessarily getting the most from your trip, and you are missing out on some of the amazing things the world has to offer!



SHOP AROUND!


Some years back, luxurious travel was so expensive; it was exclusively reserved for those who could afford it. In today’s world, things have changed quite dramatically, and believe it or not you can now enjoy the luxury of some of the world’s best destinations for quite a low price.


While the price of the trip isn’t going to fall into a budget category, it can be a lot cheaper than it once was, and these trips are now far more accessible than they ever have been before.

In order to find a great deal on a luxury vacation, maybe don’t just search for package holidays. While there are thousands of websites out there that claim they’ll get you the best price available, that price only represents the package deal.


If you really want to see a massive saving, it’s time to look at booking things separately. The first thing you will need to do is look at flights. Now, when it comes to flights, the best thing you can do is book in the days that follow Christmas.


While this may sound crazy, most airlines will offer stupidly low prices around this time of year as they sell their seats by allocation. If you are unsure of what this means, you should really look into it – it’s quite fascinating.


The final thing you will need is a hotel (obvs). Surely you should visit a comparison site, right? Well, no, the best thing you can do here is use a comparison site to see which hotel you would prefer, but then you should ring the hotel directly. You will find that this way you will get the best possible price.


GET THINGS DONE FOR YOU!

When it comes to luxury travel, nothing is better than taking a trip where everything gets done for you. Whether you visit a 5-star hotel or even opt for a cruise & stay, you will find that you are granted one of the best ways to forget your everyday worries, and you can truly relax without a care in the world.


What may be surprising is that yet again, while all-inclusive trips used to be incredibly expensive, you can now book these trips for a fraction of the price they once were. If you really want to get your all-inclusive break at a low cost, then one of the best things you can do is to go during the ‘low season’.


The ‘low season’ will often also mean that there are fewer people around, you will get more attentive service – and you will also be able to get next to the pool, as those pesky towel reservers won’t be around for some time.


Okay, those are our tips! Happy travels, folks!
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