Archives for September 2013

Postcard From → Eat and Snap

^ learning in progress.

Listen to this: Brunch and Photography Workshop. When I heard that phrase, I went omigosh. When I tell friends that’s how I spent my Saturday, they go omigosh. It is actually as charming as it sounds. Michelle from MYCreative meets a small group of snappers for brunch [including, surprise! my friend Che], this time at The Market Cafe on Broadway Market. Over pancakes and veggie fry-ups we chat, we make friends. When the plates are cleared, photography pocket guides are distributed, and Michelle teaches us the skillz. What follows is a couple hours’ wander through the stalls, putting aperture knowledge into practice [whilst sampling olive oils]. Simple, lovely, and ever so useful, Eat and Snap was the perfect way to start a London Saturday.

to further snapping practice, and prettier photos on the blog,

miss xandra bee

Simple Fix: Keep Your Notes App Simple

My Notes App rule: I have only as many Notes as the screen will fit without having to scroll.

I used to start new Notes all over the place. New book recommendation? New note. New to do list item? New note. As a result, everything got buried and nothing got done. A little piece of my brain was constantly stressing over the clutter.

So I broke my Note-taking into 11 categories, as many as would fill the screen.

Simple.

miss xandra bee

P.S. Isn’t iOS 7 gorgeous?

Wyndstock in Review: Midsummer in the Countryside

As we enter the first days of autumn, I look back to the first days of summer. Let’s start at the beginning. On a cold day in February, a letter appeared in my email inbox. Like, a letter letter.

I know now that I received it as a Last Tuesday Society subscriber, but at the time had no idea who was behind this mysterious letter. It was magic. They found me. They created the perfect, most idyllic event of my dreams, and they found me.

So after a few weeks of dreaming and wishing, I decided to go. I bought two tickets, even though the Monkey was uncertain of his June availability. Sometimes one just has to do these things. There was never going to be a more perfect way to celebrate the culmination of my Oxford English degree than a Midsummer Night’s Ball in the English countryside.

He was free, in the end, so on Midsummer, we bussed to Norfolk.

Miss Lyra came too of course.

First sight. Beautiful glamping tents all in a row. We brought our own tent, a nice compromise for camping man Monkey to balance out my girly storybook weekend.

We dined on hay bales in the open air.

And open air there was.

Everyone was friendly. The people on the bus. The people at the campsite. The sheep, who flocked to greet us when we discovered their pen.

Wyndstock makes clear that it isn’t a festival. It’s a Country House Party. It was a weekend of calm, with thousands of acres to explore. Space. [Read more…]

My Project 333 List

33 items of clothing, 3 months. That’s the premise of Courtney Carver’s Project 333, one of the sites that inspired my shift to minimalism. I’ve never officially participated, so I’ve decided to give it a go!

My 33 are doodled above. It’s basically everything in my local wardrobe minus a spring jacket and some jewelry.

My Project 33 List:

knit hat from Forms
fingerless knit gloves (see here)
All Saints black coat (see here)
Ann Taylor pink belt (see here)
House of Holland scarf (see here)
wooly jumper, knitted by Halmoni (see here)
Alexandra King collar (see here)
Betsey Johnson black top (see here)
Ambrym Duck Top from Simonne et Lisa B (see here)
Little Black Dress by French Connection (see here)
Malvolio shoes by Shoe Embassy (see here)
vintage polka dot green dress from Radio Days (see here)
Converse boots (see here)
Club Monaco grey cami
blue Danskos (see here)
Betsey Johnson tutu dress (see here)
BCBG orange maxi (see here)
star necklace handmade by Sister
polka dot panda heels (see here)
J Crew striped top
Burberry London jeans (see here)
Jones and Jones yellow dress (see here)
Dr Martens Billie boots (see here)
Fe-Line Frock Swap M&S green fluffy thing (see here)
pink dino necklace made out of my kindergarten key chain (see here)
green dress from a Korean boutique in Hong Kong (see here)
orange Ambrym dress from Simonne et Lisa B (see here)
vintage pink sparkly thing from Reign (see here)
Betsey Johnson hoodie with bow on back (see here)
blue Izzy Lane cashmere pullover
Crown and Glory flowerband (see here)
Atomic Burger Godzilla tee
Kenyan Fair Trade necklace

So starting now I’m back to five posts per week, and every Wednesday you’ll hear about my wardrobe.

Toodle-loo!

miss xandra bee

P.S. Follow my wardrobe posts on the ‘what i wore’ tag :)

The October CD

This is the soundtrack of my October.

The rules: Ten tracks. Only one song per artist or album. No repeats from last month.

1. Crucify | Tori Amos

I used to walk by Newbury Comics every Saturday, and each week I would buy a new album, usually based on album art or friends’ recommendations. Then I’d listen to that new album each morning in my yellow boombox. Little Earthquakes was the first of these spontaneous buys, and as it was near the end of September, “Crucify” became the sound of autumn.

2. Applause | Lady Gaga

Gaga is back. And with this song she transports – it feels otherworldly and fantastic while at the same time the lyrics bring us back to human earth.

3. Video Killed the Radio Star | The Buggles

Maybe it’s because I just read Eleanor and Park and just watched Back to the Future, but I’ve been nostalgic for the mindfulness of the pre-digital age. I think my dream world is an 8bit fairy tale.

4. Send Me On My Way | Rusted Root

Another song that feels like autumn. The simple guitar leading the jaunty steps of the musical journey. Autumn is about a journey, beginnings, long walks in the woods. Let’s go!

5. The Calculation | Regina Spektor

More bouncy beats. After years of listening to Far on Spotify I finally bought the album for myself. I have a feeling songs from that album might sit on this playlist for a while.

6. 3AM | Kate Nash

This song sounds like a sleepover.

7. Close | Erin Rea

Totally evokes a Victorian novel for me. Cosy up under the covers and read for hours by candlelight, get lost in an unrequited love story told on crisp hardcovered pages. It is the album cover, basically. (Oh and you can download for free!)

8. Unreflected | Mazzy Star

Add to sounds of autumn. Can we all perform this around a campfire please?

9. Dancing in the Moonlight | King Harvest

The campfire after-party.

10. Sincerely | The Moonglows

One of the songs featured in PunchDrunk’s The Drowned Man. It’s lovely and warm.

Listen up!

miss xandra bee

P.S. Here’s September.

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