Body (in)security.
26 April 2018 • body confidence, body love, body positivity, creative writing
The
road to body positivity and self-love isn't a smooth one. Recovery is
not linear. We are our own worst critics. When you hate what you see
before you, remember how far you've come and how much you've left
behind you.
I
go through phases of disliking all the little parts of me. Then a little
while (sometimes, mere hours) later, I love myself and my body so
hard, it almost hurts.
(Photo: Erin
Veness)
I hate how broad I am across my ribs. From the front I look fairly slim, my waist nips in beautifully and I love love love that - but from the side, I'm big. Awkwardly so.
I've
decorated my ribs a little over the years, with words and flowers. I
love breathing in deeply, placing my hands just at the bottom of the
rib cage, and feeling my lungs inflate and the bones holding them in;
strong, almost impenetrable. Almost.
*
Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams @ Underbelly, 25/04/2018; a review.
• Circus Abyssinia, From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, review, theatre, Underbelly, Underbelly Festival
I
must confess, I've come in and out of London so many
times over the years, and seen the enormous purple
Underbelly as I've gone through Waterloo and across the bridge into
Charing Cross...but I've never, ever actually been to the festival.
Well,
I can tick that box now. I went to see Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams in
The Belly theatre yesterday evening, and all I can say is...WHAT!??
Recent Reads: The 14th and 15th of 2018.
25 April 2018 • bookish, recent reads
I
am so happy not to be keeping to a Reading Schedule any more.
It's opened me up to any and all forms of lit - as you'll see in the next few of these posts!
Now, here's what I read recently...
'Chicago', 23/04/2018; A review.
24 April 2018 • Chicago, From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, Ingresso, theatre review
Last night I
went to see what has been one of my favourite musicals for many years; the dazzling, scandalous
'Chicago', at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End!
I've always loved Chicago...despite never having seen
it performed live. You could say its reputation precedes it – but I've also seen a
few of its musical numbers performed by local theatre companies ('The
Cell Block Tango' in particular has been done to death, but I'll
always love it!) and of course I've seen the film a few times, too.
How To: Travel AND do good! *
• collab
Travelling
is one of the best ways to soothe the soul. It lets you take a break
from your regular life and see what else is out there. Meeting new
people and learning about certain cultures and sights is a real
joy...but sometimes it can feel a bit selfish.
Tourism
is usually good for people as it gives economies a boost and offers
new experience, but it can be bad for the environment and some
travellers may fail to see the bigger picture. So while Jeeps crowd
around the same animal in a nature reserve or boats follow whales
just wanting to breed in peace, are there any ways that you
can make your travel experience good for everyone?
Image Credit: Stock Snap
The Joy of...dress.
• fashion, grace's fashion, joy, joy the store, outfits
Confession:
I do not enjoy clothes shopping. Nope. Not at all. I hardly ever find
things that I like in the usual high street shops - plus in those
places, I can vary drastically in size. Seriously, I'll be a size L
in Topshop, then M in Zara, and often S in New Look. Then don't even
get me started on H&M. I mean, I love some of their stuff
(although it can be a bit...Hit and Miss!) but then it's a bit
bloody odd to go from size 10 to 14 some time between 2 different
outfits...?
Anyway...
There
are very few stores I'll happily and confidently go into, knowing I
can count on finding gorgeous, flattering clothing within them. And
one of those places has to be the utterly divine JOY.
Here are a few reasons why I love shopping in JOY whenever I'm in London, or the Brighton Lanes...
36.
22 April 2018
My
name's Grace.
Instead
of telling people I'm 24, for some reason I now say I'm nearly 25; my
love for my brain and my body is limitless, I never used to like the
middle finger gesture, making me vegan hot dogs with fake cheese
topping is the way to my heart, I often wonder what it's like to be a
fashion blogger, managing Instagram accounts is my calling and maybe
ultimate purpose in life, I burn palo santo in my bedroom,
handwriting will always be important to me, the fuzz on my head still
looks awesome, I wear a watch now, I'm awaiting a date for face
reconstruction surgery, in winter months I often forget how much I
love the sunshine, then it reappears and I'm reminded how it makes my
skin sing.
I'm
officially The
Brain Tumour Charity's first ever Influencer of the Year,
btw.
Thank
you so much to everyone who voted for me!
Grace answers; 2.
20 April 2018 • ask away, Ask Grace, Grace answers
I
once said it would be really cool to be on the same level of
celebrity as the major UK YouTubers, if only so I could be on a late
train home, slightly tipsy following a book event most likely, and
just throw a tweet out there saying ‘ask me anything!’ followed
by a home-made hashtag – and immediately get 100+ replies from fans
and followers asking me silly, quirky and insightful things.
Having
said that, I imagine if I had that level of fame it would stress me
out no end on social media. I have trouble being careful even these
days...
Well,
last night I thought I’d experiment with a Q+A post again, so I
threw a tweet out…
QUICK! ASK ME ANYTHING!?— Grace Latter (@_gracelatter) April 14, 2018
The Writer's Escape to the South West! *
• collab
The
South West is a dream landscape for writers. With the rugged moors,
long cliffs and beaches reaching out into the explosive ocean. It’s
no wonder that Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes fell in love with Devon,
or that William Golding found inspiration in Cornwall. These places
are made for writers with all the drama of the landscape and the tiny
villages dotted through it.
(Image via Kaboompics)
'Bat Out of Hell', 17/04/2018; a review.
18 April 2018 • Bat Out of Hell, Dominion Theatre, From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, musical, theatre, west end
On
Tuesday 17th of April 2018, I saw – well,
'witnessed' somehow seems a more appropriate term in this case – 'Bat Out of Hell'.
Jim Steinman's stunning musical featuring Meat Loaf's greatest hits has made its official - and very triumphant - return to London's West End. After its successful spell in the Coliseum last year, the show is now filling the historic Dominion Theatre with its electrifying energy and operatic sounds.
Jim Steinman's stunning musical featuring Meat Loaf's greatest hits has made its official - and very triumphant - return to London's West End. After its successful spell in the Coliseum last year, the show is now filling the historic Dominion Theatre with its electrifying energy and operatic sounds.
(source: batoutofhellmusical.com)
'Bat
Out of Hell went on to become one of the most successful and iconic
rock albums of all time; but it was originally written as a musical.
40 years after its release, Jim Steinman’s
exhilarating tale of star-crossed lovers ‘changed the way musicals
are staged forever’ (North West End) as a boundary-pushing
spectacle featuring thrilling performances of legendary hits by Jim
Steinman and Meat
Loaf.'
(source: From the Box Office)
(source: batoutofhellmusical.com)
5 must-see Unesco World Heritage Sites! *
• collab
I’ve
said it before and will keep saying it forever – travelling is
wonderful, and benefits everyone. A change of climate is great for
your overall health and discovering new cultures will broaden your
horizons.
Now,
if you have visited pretty much all the obvious holiday destinations,
and would like to see more of the amazing world that is all around,
you might want to create a bucket list of World Heritage Sites you’d
like to see. Below, you can find some inspiration to create your own
itinerary.
(Image via Pexels)
My busy brain.
16 April 2018 • mindful, mindfulness, personal
Yes,
you all know about my brain. Like, the many ways in which it
misbehaves and wrongly welcomes in potentially dangerous
strangers...? Yeah, it's quite silly like that. But something else you may not have known is:
it's busy.
How To: get a tattoo. (The Olive Fox archive)
14 April 2018 • archive, how to, howto, tattoo, tattoos, The Olive Fox
I
love every single one of my tattoos. I currently have 13 and am
nowhere near done, because oh my
gosh I have so many ideas and that thing they say when you get your first tatt is true - it opens the floodgates and
suddenly you want MORE, MORE, MORE!
Now,
in my experience, I've found that there are certain things that need
to happen when you are prepping for and then getting a tattoo. I
would like to take this opportunity to educate y'all and hopefully
help you avoid any discomfort* if you ever wish to get inked!
*cannot promise to avoid all discomfort. Tattoos hurt. I can't help with that, lol.
'Rose's Dress of Dreams', by Katherine Woodfine: The Blog Tour.
13 April 2018 • author, Barrington Stoke, blog tour, bookish, Katherine Woodfine
My lovely readers, I am very excited about this post. It's a bit of a dream come true. That is because the wonderful, one and only Katherine Woodfine will be guest-starring!
Her Little Gems book with Barrington Stoke, 'Rose's Dress of Dreams', was recently published, and I will tell you now, it's a treat.
Thanks
so much for being on my blog, Katherine! I loved 'Rose's Dress of
Dreams' and know quite a few others who will love it, too.
Thank
you for having me – I’m delighted to be here! I’m so pleased
you enjoyed making Rose’s acquaintance :)
Why everyone should travel. *
12 April 2018 • collab, travel
There
are so many benefits to travelling. You can meet new
people, discover different cultures and experience some amazing food
(or coffee, in my case).
Exploring
new places also gives you a new level of understanding and helps you
see what a small role you have in the world...I mean, y’know, in
the best way possible. It opens your mind and improves your
perspective on things.
Mama
Latter always likes to comment on that kind of thing when we’re
flying off on holiday. We’ll be in Gatwick North Terminal; grabbing
coffee at Pret, selecting a perfect vegan breakfast pot in EAT, or
just sitting on the ground floor waiting for our gate number, and
she’ll look around at all the people crammed into a single space,
each one going somewhere different, somewhere new or very familiar,
and she’ll say wistfully: ‘it really makes you think just how
many people there are in the world...’
This
of course has become such a common occurrence that we now say
it for her before she gets the chance. It’s a
Mama-ism!
Orpheus and Eurydice; Tom de Freston and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
• bookish, exhibition, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, london, Lush Life, Orpheus and Eurydice, poetry, Tom de Freston
Beautiful readers, I have the most exciting post for you, featuring two of my absolute favourite artistic humans (who you've no doubt seen me chattering with all over social platforms and selfie-ing with at events for a while now)...
I'm so thrilled to be seeing these beauties this evening, and at the same time revisiting one of my favourite office spaces of all time, ever - Lush HQ in Soho!
That's right, this SOLD OUT exhibit event is going to happen tonight, and you can expect more content on here about it afterwards. For now, here are all the gorgeous details...
Same scar.
11 April 2018 • creative piece, creative writing, scar
Grey
jacket, ruddy skin, uneven bristles littering each cheek. Salt and
pepper, chalk and cheese.
''ey,
we’ve got the same scar, you and me,' is his opening line.
I
sit back and look up. 'Have we?' I ask politely.
'Yah,
look.' He pulls back his knitted beanie (also grey) and traces a
visible line, white and clear, cutting through the deep pink from his forehead down in front of his ear. The opposite side to
mine, but shockingly similar. It just doesn’t go back quite as far.
It’s that little bit quieter. 'How’d you get yours, then?'
I
smile, feeling the warmth mixed with desperate curiosity in his
words. 'Brain surgery. You?'
'Ah,
fair, whoa. Got mine from an accident. Smashed me head in,' he grins
a little lopsidedly, then raises a hand.
'You
have a great life won’t you – god bless ya,' and he walks away,
touching his lips with his dry fingers and blowing me a kiss.
I
automatically return it. Because I’ve made a friend, in what must
be the strangest but also most intimate way.
Guest Lecturing, Take 2.
9 April 2018 • guest lecturer, lecturing, Q&A, university of winchester
When I was 17, full of feelings and desperate for an outlet, I created a blog - between lessons at college. It was my own tiny space on the internet, where I could go in good times and bad. I would never have believed you if you'd tapped me on the shoulder and told me where it would take me someday. In fact, I'm glad nobody suddenly apparated before me and told me this right then because, knowing teenage me, I'd probably have been terrified and deleted braceletsandbangles.blogspot.com before I'd even written my first post about the boy I fancied in Drama class.
As you all know - well, I assume so because I go on about it quite a bit - I have been an occasional Guest Lecturer at the University of Winchester (my alma mater) for about 2 years now.
February 2016, I was asked by my ex-lecturers (and good pals) to speak in a Creative Writing seminar about my writing journey and creative work post-graduation. I was 1 of 3 successful (that would have been in quote marks because I'm not sure you could call me that, but the other 2 who spoke were very, very successful so I can't devalue them, y'know?) graduates, and I was so thrilled and honoured to have the chance to talk to the students about my writing...and my blog. I then was asked to return and give actual, full seminars in October 2016.
As you all know - well, I assume so because I go on about it quite a bit - I have been an occasional Guest Lecturer at the University of Winchester (my alma mater) for about 2 years now.
February 2016, I was asked by my ex-lecturers (and good pals) to speak in a Creative Writing seminar about my writing journey and creative work post-graduation. I was 1 of 3 successful (that would have been in quote marks because I'm not sure you could call me that, but the other 2 who spoke were very, very successful so I can't devalue them, y'know?) graduates, and I was so thrilled and honoured to have the chance to talk to the students about my writing...and my blog. I then was asked to return and give actual, full seminars in October 2016.
Saint Jean Cap Ferrat: 'The Hidden Gem Of The French Riviera'. *
7 April 2018 • collab, France, Riviera
The
Riviera is an area of France often known for being a playground for
the rich and famous. It’s true that you do get a lot of people with
money and massive yachts out there, and a lot of the resorts in the
area have since lost a lot of their charm and originality because
they’ve been updated with expensive shopping districts and fancy
new bars and restaurants. That’s not to say that those places
aren’t worth visiting, they’re still f*cking beautiful - but if you’re
looking for something with a bit more character, you might
wanna opt for Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, a small wooded peninsula off
the coast. These are just some of the many reasons you should add it
to your bucket list...
Pet peeves and/or hates.
6 April 2018 • gracie actually has opinions, opinion, pet hates, pet peeves
Hey,
wanna know more about me? Of course you do, why else would you be
here, in my specific space reserved for painfully pouring out my entire life?
Well, I've decided it's time to share with you all a few of my pet peeves -
which, on reflection, are really more like pet hates...I'll try and separate the two.
- Loud hand dryers.
(pet peeve)
Yeah, so I'm starting with what I know may be a weird one. I will often use public toilets and then, after washing my hands, avoid using the automatic dryers in favour of moistening my jumper or jeans with my wet hands. Why? Because I genuinely jump out of my inky skin when a loud gust of air hits my hands and howls in my ears.
Recent Reads #11; the 11th and 13th of 2018.
4 April 2018 • bookish, recent reads
*
Yes, I am aware that this title may be confusing. Let me clear this
up: the wonderfully magical YA 'Out of the Blue' by Sophie Cameron was
my 12th read of 2018, and I
devoted a whole post to it (with a review from me, and an
interview with the author) last week. Okay? Cool. We good. Onwards! *
King
Coo, by Adam Stower (published with David Fickling Books).
BEN
POLE is on the run from his arch-enemy MONTY GRABBE when he discovers
a forest with rope swings, water slides, Herbert the wombat, and best
of all KING COO.
Yes, I was sent a copy of this (delightful, short 'n' sweet) Middle Grade novel, but that in no way affects my opinion of it. And my opinion is: it's GREAT.
Instagram Honesty (2).
2 April 2018 • honesty, Instagram, Instagram Honesty, social media
I love social media; it's ingenious and brilliant and constantly surprising.
It's also terrible, and at times I absolutely despise it. But don't we all, sometimes? I certainly know a lot of people who properly hate social media, some of whom have deliberately deleted any trace of themselves on every platform.
But then at the same time, I know folks who have made a career out of social media. This includes me. New job titles have come into being in the past few years, at major companies everywhere, thanks to the major influence of social media. Right there, that's a job title I've come to know well recently – 'influencer'. It sounded mad when I first heard it, but now I am totally into it.
And of course, so many of us have found friends, discovered new favourite things and been inspired endlessly. Whether it's coming across individuals and movements we wouldn't have known about had it not been for Twitter; kinks and fan fic we'd never thought to search for were it not for Tumblr; 5* cafes and gadgets for sale courtesy of Facey B, and of course there is always an abundance of beautiful foods and quirky outfits to be seen on Instagram.
Instagram is a happy place full of photos; its users share snapshots of their lives for all to see. The thing is with Instagram these days, though...it's full of fibs. I catch them so often, little tricks of the light and selective crops that may suggest the photographer has a better situation or sunnier disposition than they actually do offline. Smoke and mirrors, flips and filters. I'm not judging though because, shock horror...I do it, too.
I am now going to embed a few of my recent Instagram posts, and give you some background on each of them that won't have seen before. The things I wouldn't have let you see.
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