Happy thoughts

Hello! I've not really been paying much attention to my blog lately (sorry blog). I don't really have a reason for it either, other than utter laziness. I have been reading a lot, spending a lot of time hiding under a duvet (it's sooo cold), and playing a surprising amount of board games.

I have also been liking the following things...

1. I'm going on holiday in two weeks! 

Photo: Chris Sorensen

THIS IS SO EXCITING. After waiting what feels like an absolute age, my Sri Lanka trip is almost here and I just can't wait! We've planned out our (rough) route around the island and will get the chance to do a little bit of everything - including a visit to an elephant orphanage (amazing). 

The weather in Sri Lanka is about 25 degrees higher than that of Edinburgh, so it's going to be super weird going from duffel coats/scarves/hats/gloves/multiple layers of tights to shorts and t-shirts! I reckon I can handle it though.

2. Winter

Photo: Colin Bell Photography

As I'm going to be in tropical climes over Christmas & New Year, I am trying to pack as much WINTER FUN into my time left in town before I go.

On the cards are... a wander around Edinburgh's Christmas markets (plus a go on the Star Flyer - which looks terrifying, but brilliant), a super early fake Christmas dinner with my family, a trip to see the Lion King at the Playhouse (not really Christmassy to be fair, but I love musicals), ice-skating, a Christmas meal out with pals AND at least one occasion of wearing a Santa hat. Achievable.


3. The Edinburgh Experiment

Science!

Last week I went along to the Edinburgh Experiment - a night held at Summerhall for Edinburgh Google City Experts. The night was science-themed (my entire life is science-themed, these days) and had gramophone DJs, scientific cocktails, amazing experimental food by Jelly + Gin, and hands-on science demonstrated by my lovely pals from work.

Summerhall is such a brilliant venue - it used to be an old vet school, and it is just SO quirky and cool. This event was held in the Small Animal Hospital, a super atmospheric space which has rows of empty cages, old steel gurneys and cracked tiles. I wouldn't want to be in there alone at night, but it was a cool place to be, gin-in-hand!

National Novel Writing Month

In general, I am pretty good at making time for the things and people that are important to me. But this has been a weird wee year (perhaps read this if you don't know what I'm talking about) and sometimes it feels a bit exhausting trying to keep up (or even start!) things I had planned.

And so I find myself, half-way through November, realising that I totally forgot to start Nanowrimo this year.

Nanowri-oh. (Sorry. I had to).

I've blogged about it LOADS before, but here's a wee recap in case this is new to you. Nanowrimo is National Novel Writing Month - a writing campaign that challenges people across the world to write 50,000 words in one month (which works out roughly to be a short first draft). It looks like a terrifying amount of words, but they break it down into day-by-day wordcounts, provide graphs and widgets to track your progress, and have forums full of other writers, all sharing stories of success or laughing at the very terrible things they've written.

It isn't about writing a perfect first draft (or even a good first draft). It's just about writing - learning that you can make time for something, even if you honestly think you fill every hour of your day. It's hard work, a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, and leaves you dreaming of your characters, but it's SO satisfying. It's one of my favourite points in the year.

And I forgot.

So what do I do? I know I could (and should!) write all year round, but it's the competitive-we're-all-in-this-together part that I really love, and I find it hard to motivate myself if I don't have a target. If I wanted to join in and catch up, I'd have to write 20,000 words just to be on track with today. I have no plot, no characters, and not much time this week - but I know it'll be worth it if I do.

Hmm. Watch this space.

October instagram

Hi November! I love this time of year - it's getting close to winter, and that means cosy winter coats, scarves & gloves. Aaaand I only have six weeks to wait until  fly off to Sri Lanka. So exciting!

October went by in a flash, and I think I embraced halloween more than a 27 year old really should. Still, I had fun!

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I've been trying to work through all the books I haven't yet read in my library, and am doing quite well! Each month I write book reviews of what I've been reading (they are scrappy and not well-written, but I do try!), so you can have a look if you are seeking a new read.

2. Beautiful cabbagey flowers! We've had to keep the house stocked up with fresh flowers as it's on sale, and so I've been working my way through all the types tesco have to offer.

3. Earlier this month I baked a really gory anatomical heart cake, which was SO much fun to do.

4. I've been neglecting painting a bit lately, so it was nice to get some time to pick it up again. Even if I'm knackered after a manic day, it's always worth making time to sit down and paint, it really relaxes me!

5. I'm trying to work on my layering and shadowing with watercolours, and hands are really interesting to paint.

6. The Pleasance Sessions were on this month, and were really brilliant! I went to see Jonnie Common, Miaoux Miaoux and Cairn String Quartet one night, and Three Blind Wolves on another, and it was all SO good. It's a bit strange going to a sit-down gig, but the atmosphere was brilliant, and the theatre looked beautiful.

7. More sketching... this time trying to do something completely different, and not like my usual style. I will draw every week, I will!

8. A couple of my friends held a villains-themed birthday party, which meant I had an actual, real-life excuse to get dressed up! I went as a green-eyed, snakey-haired Medusa, and my friend Muzz went as the terrifying girl from The Ring. It was ace!

9. These are probably my favourite shoes right now, they complete all of my sparkly, leopard print needs! I wore them to a black tie event, which I reckon they are actually totally inappropriate for, but I don't care. I love them so.

10. I was up in Aberdeen for the Arts and Business Awards with work, and we were commended (aka runner up) in both of the categories we were nominated for, which is ace!

11. The Science Festival also had a pop up "Little Workshop of Horrors" at Edinburgh Uni's big Halloween party, which was so much fun! We were demonstrating how to make scabs and blood clots, and all sorts of cool experiments. Science is fun guys!

12. AND I got to dress up like a zombie, so I was in my happy place. Hooray.

Book love

Each month I chat about what books I've been reading in my monthly Book Love feature.

The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger
I don't think I would have ever gotten round to reading this book if I hadn't been given it as a you've-had-a-stressful-day-here's-a-book present (one of the best kinds of presents), as I always thought that you had to read it as a teenager, or it just wouldn't make sense. So I was a wee bit apprehensive about starting it, and then was very pleasantly surprised at how quickly it hooked me in.

I can totally understand why some people hate it. Holden Caulfield is frustrating and cynical and thinks everything is phony ("goddamn phonies!"), but I really took to him. He's very blunt and desperately trying to prove to himself that he's in control, but he's actually a bit scared, a bit sad, and very lost. It's funny and rebellious and sad and full of old-school American slang. I really loved it.

Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein
I also loved Starship Troopers! I've watched the film before, so I was expecting a bit of hilarious sci-fi action, but there's so much more to this book (they are actually very, very different things). I get very easily lost in a character when I like them, and I had a lot of time for Rico - so when he was musing on the philosophy of war and describing why, of course, it's important to take part in military service and live in a limited democracy, I was thinking yes! Totally! That all makes perfect sense! Hmm.

If you like sci-fi (why wouldn't you like sci-fi?) then this is a good one. And unlike the other Heinlein book I've read (Stranger in a Strange Land), Starship Troopers isn't full of weird 60s sexism. Hooray!

Halloween how to: Medusa makeup

I've been blogging Halloween DIYs for the last month (because I'm a cool guy, and not a child), but when it came to putting together a Halloween outfit for an ACTUAL party I was going to, I was so unprepared! The theme was villains, so I decided to dress up as Ursula - I had grand plans to make a dress with tentacles, craft a seashell necklace and paint myself purple.

But then, it suddenly was two days before the party and I had done nothing. A mad scramble for ideas and a manic rush round the shops later, and I became Medusa!

This is probably the laziest costume I've ever put together, but I thought I'd blog about it in case you too also need to scramble for a last-minute Halloween outfit!

I used the following:

• Snakes from Hawkin's Bazaar
• A purple grecian-looking dress
• Make-up in a variety of metallic colours
• Green coloured contact lenses* 
• Millions of kirby grips!

I didn't really have a plan for my eye makeup, instead I just used it as an excuse to go a bit mad with colours! I used Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 25k Gold on my eyelids, which I absolutely love - it's such a lovely colour and it does actually last for hours.

I then blended some turquoise and purple MUA shadows in the crease, and added a line of purple shadow under my lower lash line. I used a really glittery MUA purple shadow to go over this (why be subtle? I wish I could have glittery eyes everyday!). Then I added winged liquid eyeliner, false lashes and tonnes of mascara!

Lenstore kindly offered me some contacts from their Halloween contact lenses range to try out, so I picked FreshLook Colorblends in Gemstone Green. I've never tried coloured lenses before so I was a bit unsure about how much of a difference they would make - but look how good they are!

It took me about 10 minutes to get them in - it's quite an odd experience to stick things in your eye! Luckily I had Craig (a regular contact-wearer) on hand to offer some tips, which were to stare straight ahead and hold your eyelid firmly open. It feels weird to have lenses on, but not uncomfortable at all... I'd definitely wear them again.

For my hair, I put it up in a really messy updo (made mainly by backcombing a massive part of it, and pinning in a really loose beehive), and left sections down that I could plait and use to secure the snakes. I took sections of snake (which I'd chopped up, to make it easier to put in my hair) and started to weave them through, using hair to wrap round them.

I figured Medusa would have really messy hair (all those snakes would keep you mega scruffy), so I didn't stress about making it look particularly nice or planned, I just focused on getting the snakes secure and even across my hair.

I had plans to paint a snakeskin pattern on my face, but ran out of time (oops) so just sponged on some turquoise shadow instead. It's rushed, and it's definitely less gory than I usually go for Halloween, but I really liked it!

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

p.s. the nice folks at Lenstore have also set up a discount code, so you can try out coloured contact lenses for a wee bit cheaper. New customers receive 10% off their first order up until the end of November, with the code EverSoJuliet_Reader - enjoy!