Monday 22 May 2017

Girl, put your records on.....







Music has always played such an important role in both our lives. Our dad is a guitarist, our mum a huge music fan and we both danced, played guitar and sang from an early age. Music has the power to allow you to escape, often back to happy times where you can reminisce about the adventures and milestones you've enjoyed along the way! It can also help you to dream bigger, push you towards your goals and sometimes it can remind us of the things we wish we could forget. There have been so many studies proving that music helps those suffering from the likes of Alzheimer's and Dementia to recall long-forgotten memories and improve quality of life through singing and enjoying music. 

A few years back I bought a Crosley record player and dug out my old vinyl collection. Listening to those albums instantly transported me back in time to my bedroom when I was a kid. I spent hours listening to my favourite pop-stars and bands, singing along and making up dance routines.  I recently read What Olivia Did's piece, 'Soundtrack to My Life' (I'm also a big fan of the BBC's Desert Island Discs podcast series) and it made me think of the songs that I would consider my soundtrack and the artists who have influenced my personal life, as well as my work as a choreographer. And eh voilĂ , here's my list thus far.....




Child's Play- 'I Love your Smile' Shanice. 
I adored this song when I was 9 years old. The hook was just so catchy! It reminds me of Sunday's spent by my HiFi in my bedroom listening to the charts on the radio. 



First Timer- 'Run to You' Bryan Adams 
The first concert I ever went to was Bryan Adams, Waking Up the Neighbours Tour with my dad. It was at Celtic Park on the 11th July 1992 and I'll never forget it. I became a huge fan, so much so my mum invited him to my 18th birthday party (no, sadly he couldn't make it!). There's not a song of his I don't like but if I were to choose a favourite it would have to be 'Run to You'. Rob and I danced to the song 'When You love Someone' at our wedding so that's another one I love hearing. 



Guilty pleasure- 'Bits & Pieces' Artemesia
I was never in to dance music growing up- I much preferred R&B and chart music when it came to dance-floor faves but I've always absolutely loved this! It just makes me want to jump up and down! I can't stay still when I hear it. I now use it as warm up track in classes!



Let the Good Times Roll- 'You can Do It' Ice Cube 
This takes me back to Thursday nights at Blanket when I was a student. I'd drive me and the girls in to town and we'd go to the club with the sole intention of dancing all night long. The music was amazing and we had such a great time together.



The Mamas and The Papas -

'Fast Car' Tracy Chapman 
Any time I hear this song I think of our mum. Sunday night was hair washing night was I was a kid (I had extremely long hair which was washed, dried and subsequently pleated for the week ahead at school). It would be just us 3 girls at home so mum would play her favourite albums. London's Burning would be on TV and you'd get the Sunday night back-to-school blues when you heard the opening theme song. 

'Born in the U.S.A' Bruce Springsteen 
Our dad is a big time fan of The Boss so any track of his tends to make me think of him but this reminds me of a T-shirt he brought back for me from a concert when I was only little. I wish I could find it as it was pretty cool- it would be classed as vintage now I reckon.  





Ma Jam- 'P.Y.T' Michael Jackson
I have been a huge MJ fan my entire life. He was such a hero of mine and so any track of his is bound to get my groovin' but whenever I hear the opening bars of this it just takes over my whole body. It was from the album Thriller which I still have on vinyl!

Love of My Life - 'Groove is in the Heart' Deee-Lite
My hubby Rob knows all the words to this- it's a real favourite of his so when I hear it I can't help but smile as I think of him singing it. It's just a cool track that makes you want boogie! 


Karaoke Queen- 'Don't Speak' No Doubt
When Rob and I started dating we'd go to the local pub on a Sunday night for karaoke. I had a few songs that I'd do every week and this was one of them. I've always loved Gwen Stefani- she's just one cool lady and that song just reminds me of being young falling in love for the first time.  



Farewell Fanfare-  'You've Got A Friend' James Taylor
Probably my favourite song of all time! We actually sang it as part of our wedding ceremony so I guess it would be fitting to play it as I take my final bow. It's just beautiful and I'd hope it would remind the special people in my life how much I loved them. 



I have waaaaay more favourites but I feel that's a decent selection for now. Has that made you think of what you'd put on your list or has it encouraged you to look up the tracks and have a little boogie to yourself? Go on, be honest....we won't tell anyone! 

Happy listening,
Weesse x

Monday 15 May 2017

The High Fives- May 2017



It's great finding stuff you really like isn't it?! It's even better when you can share your new found faves with others (well sharing's caring after all!), so I thought the blog would be the perfect platform to do just that, with this new feature, The High Fives!  A cohesive list of FIVE little gems that I've been loving, varying from bargain buys to Netflix binge-worthy hits. Hope you find a new found fave! 
Photo from Google Images




1. GIRLBOSS on Netflix 

Managed to devour this new series in a matter of days. Telling the true life tale of fashion empire Nasty Gal's CEO Sophia Amouroso's climb to top from her humble eBay-shop beginnings. Inspired by her book of the same name (which I ADORED!), I loved season one! WARNING!!- this programme may make you psyched to start your own business post-viewing!  









2. PODCASTS

These have been a real game changer for me over the past year or so in terms of making my lengthy commutes way more palatable. I've dabbled in tuning into a few different series but have recently locked down a couple of firm faves. I'm pretty sure you'll find a podcast about ANYTHING you're interested in but my current recommendations (in no particular order) are: 

Scummy Mummies- comedy duo Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson tackle a range of topics relevant to all those not-so perfect parents out there. If you need a dose of reality and a right good giggle be sure to check this out. 

Ctrl Alt Delete- Writer Emma Gannon's book of the same name is a fabulous blow by blow account of how this millennial grew up on line in the age of MySpace and Internet dating. On her podcast she  interviews other Creatives about their experiences on-line and sparks inspiring conversations about life, careers, friendships and everything in between.  

The High Low- This pop culture/news podcast by writers Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes highlights some of the week's biggest stories to the more frivolous tit bits we all enjoy. 



Photo from Amazon.co.uk
3. WHAT WOULD BEYONCÉ DO? by Luisa Omielan 

I love books but I'm terrible at setting aside time to read them. I have shelves jam packed with untouched novels and biographies, ever-determined that one day I'll plough my way through them. However I broke this bad habit after seeing stand-up Luisa Omielan live at last year's Edinburgh Fringe. Her show Am I Right Ladies? was bloomin' marvellous and seriously uplifting, so I was keen to get me another Luisa fix in the form of her book, What Would BeyoncĂ© Do? A frank, honest and hilariously insight into life as a female comic, this beaut of a read has you feeling like you're one of Luisa's closest confidants. You can't help fall in love with her as she takes you on her miss-adventures. 



4. MEGAN ELLABY





Oh my days! This girl got style.....oodles and oodles of it. If you like a daily shot of Instagram inspo or a weekly YouTuber hit be sure to check out fashion blogger Megan Ellaby. Fashion hauls, styling tips & the coolest flat I've ever seen, her 60/70s rock chick vibes are the stuff of dreams. I unashamedly want to be her mate but fear I wouldn't be cool enough! 







5. SLEEK MAKEUP DIP-IT LINER

Photo from Sleekmakeup.com
Admittedly I have for many years stayed clear of using liquid eye-liner for fear of looking like a KISS band member. I reckoned I did not possess nearly the required level patience nor the steady hand for applying it to perfection so stuck with my trusty kohl pencil. However Mimi recently put me on to SLEEK MAKEUP Dip-It liquid eyeliner and I'm a convert-love the stuff and love the price!  Available also in Superdrug this cheap-as-chips, gets-the-job done purchase that I can safely say I'm able to use without disastrous results is a winner! Winged liner is now a possibility- woohoo! 

Wednesday 10 May 2017

Here Comes Summer* (*allegedly)



Apparently…summer is around the corner. We have been enjoying some glorious sunny weather up here en Ecosse, but it sure isn’t warm! However, in a bid to dress myself out of an extended Winter funk, I’ve been making more of an effort to wear lighter fabrics and fresher colours. Gone are my staple khaki, grey and navy knits…high there tan chinos, blue and white striped shirts and canvas loafers.

Case in point my (almost) bare-faced Summer look from last weekend where it was 16 degrees and practically tropical up here.




All still worn with my Regatta parka #obvs.

BUT fail to prepare and prepare to fail as they say, so now is the time, as the sun starts to peek it’s glorious head around the corner, to get stocking up on some fab Summer accessories that can brighten even the simplest and most flexible of outfits. Here are some of my faves that I a) already own and b) have my eye on.


Turban Outfitters

Even when I had long hair, I loved me a turban or a head scarf. Perfect in the summer when lounging at the pool, they do a good to job of keeping the heat off of your head.

Don’t want to go full Carmen Miranda? Opt for a twisted headband instead. All the effect of a turban without feeling like you’re missing your maracas.





CLOCK-WISE FROM TOP:
Stripe twist front head band, Zara, price unknown (bought in the sale last year)
Satin effect knotted head band, Zara, £7.99 (comes in yellow…I have both)
Twist front hair band, Primark, £2


Summer, you say? I’m All Ears…

From this point on you may notice that I have a mild obsession with all things tassel and pom pom-adorned.



CLOCK-WISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Tassel and coin earrings, eBay shop mixlotchina, £2.01
Face earrings, Mango, £9.99
Metal pendant earrings, Mango, £12.99
Twist Earrings, Zara, price unknown (bought in the sale last year)


The Eyes Have It

Now that I am approaching the big 3-0, I’ve become one of those people who wear sunglasses outdoors at all times in a bid to prevent crow’s feet-inducing squinting. Totes not about channelling my inner Jackie-O. Not at all.




CLOCK-WISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Tortoiseshell cat eye sunglasses, Primark, £2 (also in black)
Dark blue sunglasses, Parfois, £14.99
Red & Gold Sunglasses by Diane Von Furstenberg, TK Maxx, £24.99 (RRP £105)
Aviator sunglasses, H&M, £5.99 (also in gold)



Chunky and Funky

My love affair with accessories extends beyond the neck down. Think big. Think statement. Think tribal, silver, tassels, pomp poms and a whole mixture of other textures.



L-R:
Multi-strand necklace, H&M, £17.99
Tribal-inspired necklace, eBay shop Firefly jewellery & Accessories, £8.99 (also comes in blue)
Silver chunky filigree necklace, Primark, £8





Cuff Love

I’m a watch-wearer, but when on holiday I forgo my retro Casio rose gold digital timepiece (because I have nowhere to be) and opt for chunky bangles and bracelets instead. Layer them up or opt for one statement piece.

L-R:
Starfish cuff bracelet, H&M, £8.99
Committed wooden bracelets, Mango, £15.99 for 2
11 pack bracelets, H&M, £8.99


It’s in the Bag

Summer bags to me say canvas, wicker and leather. Go straight from beach to bar with these beauties.



CLOCK-WISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Woven shoulder bag by Vimoda, TK Maxx, £14.99 (RRP £39)
La Piscine Tote Bag, Parfois, £27.99
Hyacinth woven handbag, TK Maxx, £19.99

Studded bucket bag, Mango Outlet, £8 (RRP £19.99)