Saturday, September 28, 2013

N16

On my second weekend as a N16 residence, I decided to go for a wander...

In my immediate neighbourhood, I'm lucky to be surrounded by the following parks:

Abney Park Cemetery
Clissold Park
Springfield Park
Hackney Downs

During my wander, I pottered down to Stoke Newington Church Road and was planning on walking around to Clissold Park, but decided the cemetery looked more interesting, plus I've never ventured in before.

I'm so glad I did. It's incredible! Check it out for yourselves, it looks as though the caretaker died and no one noticed.








The thing about Abney Park is that there are loads of people looking around, sitting on benches and drinking in public (obviously the last one isn't so attractive but it all sets the scene). The park is huge and continues for miles, with little earthy tracks, and rows and rows of graves. It looks as though certain parts of the cemetery are overgrown hedgerows but when you take a closer look, you realise that graves lie underneath. The entire place is so enchanted and when you think you've seen everything, a derelict church appears out of nowhere.

I highly recommend trips to Abney Park Cemetery (this is their official website).

After I'd finished pottering around Abney, I headed over to Springfield Park, which is the other side of my home. It's a lovely little park, which has a nice set of hedges with benches in them, looking Eastwards over the River Lea and Walthamstow Marshes.






Friday, September 27, 2013

Some good deeds, aren't worth it!

I had a rather funny/strange conversation with my mum the other day: It consisted of me telling her about my helping a bitch (I happen to know) out.

It starts like this: a couple of friends and I had planned to go to the pub, this individual invited herself along - isn't that always the way?!

A couple of drinks in and the bitch seems to be getting pretty merry, she tells us about cheating on her long term boyfriend with Colin Farrell in LA (whoop de do, you whore!)...I mean come on, we all talk about our Top 5s, but how many people would actually cheat on their partners if they had the chance?! I doubt that many would, I know I couldn't. Anyway, I'm lost on a tangent... So, we continue to drink and the bitch starts to walk around and place drinks down, hardly touched, orders a new drink and then place that one down, etc...in total, she basically drank about three large reds. I appreciate this is on an empty stomach, and not everyone is as epic as I am at drinking, but if you reach your limit, stop drinking don't continue to waste money on new drinks, especially tasty large reds!

Anyhow, we get about five drinks in and she disappears. I assume she's gone out the back door of the pub, I continue to talk to the random people I've found for a bit, eventually I decide it's time to leave. Now, in this particular pub, there are three doors and two ladies lavatories (this bitch is lucky that I didn't use the lavatory I'd normally use, otherwise it could have been a much worse story for her). As I walk into the pub, I see her asleep on one of the tables. I pop to the lavatory and have to decide, do I
a) walk pass her and leave?
b) wake her up and try to get her to a taxi rank?
or
c) take a photo and then do either a) or b)?

Due to my parents raising my correctly, I perform b). As soon as I do, I regret it (did I mention she was dribbling?!), I wake her up and she is instantly rude to me. Fun times for me!

I support her up the road and all the way, she tells me that I'm lucky she's there to help me, she also repeatedly asks me why I'm doing this? And also is incredibly rude and horrible to every bloke who walks past, to whom I have to apologise to.

I finally get her to a cash point and she refuses to withdraw cash, at one point she tries to withdraw cash with random membership cards, she continues to throw her designer bag on the floor and empty the contents onto the pavement, which I then scramble around and pick up for her. She also starts to bitch about the fact that she can't believe that her boss didn't give her any cash for her taxi and how dare he leave her up shits creek. After about 5 minutes of this (by the way, Barclays will be having a field day if they ever watch the cctv of the cash point from that night), two guys start to wait behind us, at which point she tells them that she knows what they want and there is no way their ever going to get it. They, understandably, look horrified. I apologise profusely and move her to one side, so they can get cash out. It ends up with me, having to offer to get cash out for her. I explain that I'm at the end of my overdraft and that I'll get charge, I also explain I'd expect her to pay it. I finally flag a taxi down and put her in it, at which point she refuses to tell the taxi driver where she lives. I see this as my chance to leave  - I'm free!

Side note - Dear Mr Taxi Driver, I am very sorry for leaving you in the lurch with such a horrid drunk person, but I hope you can except my apology. I'm sorry that you may have thought that I was also coming along. Please accept my apologies from the bottom of my heart.

The next time I see her, after about 2 hours I had to bring up the fact that she owed me cash. I also had to wait till the second time I saw her to a) get it and b) receive a thank you for helping her. You know what, some times good deeds just aren't worth the effort.

So, why was the conversation about this with my mum so funny?!
Firstly, once I told my mother this and she had gotten over her initial rant about 'stupid girls getting so drunk and being irresponsible', she told me that I should have taken a photo (remember, this is the woman who has instilled all of my morals).
Secondly, when I told her that I've always felt this girl wasn't very nice, and having her behave in such a way, reassured me that I had possibly been right first time round. She told me that maybe I shouldn't have bothered to help her and that some people won't learn until they end up in a situation which isn't ideal (once again, this is my moral guide?!).
Thirdly, towards the end, when I explained that I thought this particular girl may have always been over looked by her own mother and that maybe she lacked parental love and that I will always choose loving parents and a family unit over all the money in the world, my darling mother laughed and said "Oh dear, maybe I failed at raising you properly!".

Dearest Mother, you are one very funny lady!

Revamping a Dresser


This is my new dresser, which I've acquired form my new housie. She has given me free licence to do as I see fit with it. So I thought for about an hour and decided to collage the main body of the dresser in flowery/pastel images and the drawers in black and white type.

I've ordered some flower door knobs from eBay of various colours and have started perusing my collection of magazines for flower images. I'm so excited, I almost don't want to start it, in case it doesn't work and looks rubbish. Damn you, pre-crafting worry...

Sunday, September 08, 2013

All moved in

Having moved out at the beginning of August, I stayed with an awesome friend and her husband for a week and a half in Bermondsey. I then headed to Chiswick to house sit for two weeks. During this period, I had my friend, Lauren, stay with me. The house was the most lovely house, very stylish and homely, which is a hard mix to accomplish. I was also cat sitting, although I think it was more that they looked after me.

Choucas' weak spot!

During this time, I chilled, drank, crocheted, hosted a small bbq and had some good times one weekend along the river with some most excellent friends: JFo and Budge.

Choco tries to blend in!

At the end of this, I headed back to Bermondsey for just over a week and then, finally, I moved in to my new flat, with my guardian angel of a new housie: Innie. 

(In fact during the entire period after my break up, I appear to have been surrounded and looked after by so many different "angels in disguise", it's been rather incredible and has made me feel truly blessed! I've always believed in karma and this period of time has truly shown me that it exists, although I really don't think I've deserved this much kindness, it has been awe inspiring).

I moved myself in mid week and on Friday collected the majority of my crap from my parents, with the help of some wonderful friends, we got it in to my room, just about! I spent all of yesterday unpacking, but check it out!

My creative centre

Dressing Area

Alternative light

Newly made curtains

Some high brow TV shows and reading...

Some actual high brow reading (well, mostly)...

I finally got the chance to use some fabric, which I've had for seven years, as my new curtains, I'm so glad I kept hold of it. I've also got a creative area for sewing, art projects and various other crafts that I turn my hand too. Although all I've used it for so far, is storage of clean clothes and other crap.

Innie has lent me her old dresser, which I've been given permission to adapt. It's currently cream, soon it shall be collaged in flowers and type, with awesome flower handles - I'm totally embracing my girly side, after two years of being told everything has to be mutually decorated. YAY! Bring on the flowers, sequins and glitter!