Sunday 24 October 2010

Pictures of Reading.

The other morning I took my Camera with me when walking to work since it's such a beautiful walk. On the day in question it was also very cold so plenty of frost on the ground. I know scenery pictures can be a bit boring for other people to watch but I just thought it looked so pretty that I had to post some.

The local gas tower, not the prettiest sight in the world but it is part of the scenery so felt wrong to not include it.





Walking to work on a glorious day like this always cheers me up :-)


Big baby swan!


Isn't he cute, it's like he believes I can't see him if he keeps really still.








If you look closely you can see the steam coming off the water

Questions questions..

If you want to start up on your own (so to speak) who can you ask or where can you go to find out if you need any certificates such as health and safety and/or insurances?
I mean it's easy enough to just go along with an idea but then you don't want to be buggered because you find out you needed something that you didn't have.
I Know that if I do start my own business idea I need to register and I need public liability but other then that I don't have a clue.
How do I find out?

Saturday 16 October 2010

I finally solved the riddle...

I was going through Swedish songs on YouTube. I guess I was feeling a bit melancholic remembering my youth (don't ask me why because I honestly don't have a clue) and I came across Björn Afzelius. Now he and the Hoola Bandoola Band is one of my mums favorites so I grew up listening to him a lot.

Now this song is my favourite:



I used to play this song over and over again when I was young and suddenly I realised why I turned out the way I did, and more importantly its due to my mother.
It's because I listened to song like this about following you heart and doing the right thing and living dangerously etc. So technically it's my mus fault because she played the songs ;-)

Anyways for the once of you that aren't Swedish the song title means Nine lives and it's about all the crazy things he's done in his life and the crazy things he hopes his kids will do because the idea of not doing any of those things petrifies him, because it would be a boring life.

Saturday 2 October 2010

Christmas Craft Fair

I've just created a Facebook page for the Christmas fair I'm arranging on the 27th of November. It's the first event page I've ever done so still getting the hang of it! If you are interested in seeing what will be for sale etc please check it out and tell your friends too :-)

Christmas Craft Fair

27th of November 2010
All items handmade.
Coffee and cakes for sale.
Come in from the cold and support local artists whilst buying Christmas presents!
Above RISC and the Global Café in Reading



Wednesday 15 September 2010

Me and my weird obsessions!

Is it wrong that I really really fancy the pants off Damon the evil vampire in The Vampire Diaries?



Just wondering...

The following counts as a spoiler so don't read if you haven't seen episode one of season two yet!

The kissing scene on the porch is not my favourite. My favourite is the one when he kisses the real Elena in her bedroom (just before snapping her brother's neck). The look in his eye when he says "lie about this" makes me go soft every time!

'Sigh' I should be working right now, not be thinking about sexy vampires who *sadly* don't exist and if they did even more sadly would not be sleeping in my bed!

Sunday 12 September 2010

Christmas Craft Fair

Christmas Craft Fair!

Applications being taken!
Artist and crafters needed for a Christmas fair above the Global Café in Reading on the 27th Of November.
If you are interested please email Lina at:lina@linaj.co.uk
Price £20 for a full table with the possibility (depending on interest) for half a table for £10.

Only rule is that what you want to sell have to be made by you!

Sunday 5 September 2010

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell

Went to the library yesterday and picked up this book:



It's been recommended to me by my house mate when I told her I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan. So I'm hoping it will be good. Only thing is I expected it to be approximately 400 pages long but it's closer to 800! These days I don't have much time to read so it will take me ages to finish it.

After I read this I'm going on the hunt for Stephen Fry's autobiography.

Friday 3 September 2010

It's the weekend!

Finally the week is over and I can breath again!
This week has been knackering at work, and whatever could go wrong appears to have been going wrong.
Now at least the weekend is here and I'm hoping for everything to even back out again. I got loads of ideas in my head but they are kind of jumbled, so looking forward to sorting them out.
Either way we will see, I'm just happy Monday to Friday is done and gone!

Thursday 2 September 2010

Having one of those weeks where things just keep going wrong! And I feel sooo tired all the time. It's just gone nine and I believe I better go to bed.
1: So I don't fall asleep sitting up
2: So I can pull the duvet over my head until it's no longer today.

Monday 30 August 2010

Writing

It annoys me that my muse appears to have taken a long hiatus! I have all these ideas running around in my head but they are firmly refusing to get down on paper.

And today I shall be...

I love the fact that there is an extra day off from work this week! Especially since I have loads to do.
I'm going to start by eating my breakfast downstairs whilst reading my Craft & Design Magazine.

Then I will go through some emails that needs doing, hoover my room, and upload plus sort more of my travel pictures on Picasa. I might even upload some here if I get the time (God I miss travelling!!).

Then I will work on making some jewellery. Firstly by checking if my Resin has gone off or not, then I'm not sure, probably finish the bracelet I started, plus I got one ring to fix and a new pendant design I would like to try out.

But yeah, starting with breakfast.

Sunday 29 August 2010

Nothing ventured nothing gained...

I have been thinking for a long time about arranging a place for people to sell there art objects (and mine) but I’ve always chickened out. I mean you have to hire somewhere and get posters and flyer's done. Then you have to find people to take part so you pay for the cost of renting somewhere then you have to make sure you get people to come (because can you imagine how horrible it would be if no one showed up?).
And I guess that I’m mainly worried I would screw it up.


Now I am the most organised person that I know (especially when I put my mind to it) and I believe I know a lot of people in Reading, but it’s still scary.But then what’s the point if I don’t do it? I mean isn’t that at least ten times worse then if I do it and it goes badly, because otherwise I will always be thinking what if…

So I’ve looked into it and even reserved somewhere and on Tuesday I have to give a definite answer and sign myself up (or not).

So if I do and whoever reads this lives in or around Reading, you better come along and have a look or I will be miffed!
:-P

As it stands the plan is:

Place: Above the Global Café in Reading
Date: 27 November (which just happens to be my birthday too).
For sale: All things handmade!

If you make stuff and think you might want to take part let me know and I’ll send you details.

I just hope I am making the right decision!

Sunday 22 August 2010

Do you make stuff? Then look here!!!!

Hi all,

I am trying to sort out a handmade event for the beginning of December.
So if you are interested in renting a table at this event in Reading please let me know. I doesn't matter what you make, the only rule is that it has to be handmade.

At the moment things are still quite sketchy. I do have a venue in mind but need to see if I can get enough people interested to be able to meet the costs.
The cost looks to roughly be £20 per person but depends on how many people I can get interested in the idea. This fee will pay for the venue (and a table if you need it) as well as flyer's and posters.

If you are a painter I also have a lot of wall space so am considering renting out the wall space too (if you aren't interested in a table) If you are an artist that want wall space as well as having a table there let me know.

So if you might be interested and want me to keep you in the loop please send an email to: lina@linaj.co.uk

Monday 5 July 2010

What would you do?

Would you go for a job that pays well and that you would most likely find OK but not love, or would you hold out hoping to try and get that job you knew you would absolutely love?

Monday 7 June 2010

Etsy sellers

Etsy is an American website that sells handmade or vintage items. There is so many stunning things on there at all times and I do encourage you to have a look. It doesn't matter if you aren't American since it's now spread all over the world.

When I was in Seattle I meet one of the sellers on Etsy and she even gave me a purse she'd made (it's both pretty and nifty), and today I noticed these...

...absolutely gorgeous brooches that she has posted on there so just had to do a link on my blog:
Ziggybaby On Etsy

Tuesday 25 May 2010

I could be anywhere else but here...

Just got a pang in my stomach making me wish I was still travelling.

This pics shows the small building we were sleeping in on our first night in the Jungle. The building was very basic but look at the outside!


This is the fabulous view from the hotel we were staying in after the basic hut. The hotel was called the Shangri La and was gorgeous with a fabulous view!



Same view but from another direction during daytime. 3 of us lived on the top deck with by far the best view!

Fiction writing

Does anyone know of a good site where I can find someone to read stuff I have or am writing for any grammatical error and/or crap storyline etc?
I don't want anyone I know doing it so would prefer the anonymity of The Net to help me on this one.
Any good ideas twidlypeeps?

Monday 17 May 2010

Nemi



An once again she says what I think!

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Prins Charming!

Being a woman you grow up being told the fairytale's were Prince Charming comes and sweeps you off your feet.
That all sound wonderful until I realised if Prince Charming ever actually did show up at my doorstep I would be going more along the lines of "what do you mean I can't lift that" "no I am not wearing that silly poffy dress" and "what on earth makes you think I couldn't beat you in a fight!"
So yeah I am as far away from a damsel in distress as they come, no prince Charming for me!

Perhaps I can have a
Wolverine instead.

He wouldn't want a shrinking violet around anyways so perhaps I am in with a chance there (yeah right and I'm sure there was a draft coming from Hell earlier)

Monday 3 May 2010

Why can't I have my cookie and eat it!!

Slowly getting older I am feeling more and more stressed at picking something in my life and sticking to it!

What the hell am I on about you ask (well most likely you aren't asking that, but I'll tell you anyways)!?
At the tender age of 29 years old I am NOT:
-Married
-Enjoying steady employment
-Owner of my own house
-Owns a dog
-Have children
-Have money in the bank for a rainy day

You get the idea.
The reason I have none of these things is because every time I make enough money I blow it on travelling. Recently I have taken this to a completely new level and I can't wait to bugger off again!
Now this wouldn't be a problem if all I wanted in life was to do temp jobs in between travelling, but sadly I want sooo much more.
I want to Travel the world, be a journalist, a writer, run my own company or at least be boss of a big company, own and build my own house and of course be a successful Jewellery designer!
Oh and at some point I would like to own a dog :-)

Now I am smart enough to know I can't have all of these things, maybe one or two if I am lucky. The question that is driving me insane is, How the hell do I choose? And if I choose one thing does that mean I will sit there when I am old and grey and go what if...?

Monday 26 April 2010

My boss is lovely!

I had to work Saturday! It was a last minute cock up and someone had to cover a Saturday shift, now this someone by deduction also had to be me.
I was NOT happy, in fact I haven't been more unhappy in a long time.

Especially since the job was working for a company that I morally disagreed with but also because I was getting paid less then I would for my Monday - Friday job, because I had to cancel lunch with someone I hadn't seen since September last year and because I was supposed to go to storage to change space (and since I couldn't lost £25 meaning I after working all Saturday made approx £17 before tax).
Now my boss (who is lovely) wasn't in and didn't know until very last minute that I would have to cover it. Not that this in anyway made my mood anymore sunny.
But when I came into work this morning she popped in to see me to say thanks and to give me this:


I know some people will say it's only flower etc. But true as that may be I had already done it so it's not like I needed to be bribe or anything, so the flowers were a lovely gesture and a very pretty nice smelling gesture too :-)

Sunday 25 April 2010

Hiking in Wales

Better late than never. These are the pics from the Couchsurfers weekend away hiking in Wales. These pictures were mostly taken by my boyfriend Jeff. I was supposed to upload them ages ago but never had the time, so they have actually all been done by Jeff and all I'm doing is writing the heading ;-).

This is the beginning of our hike




Then loads of gorgeous scenery






Whilst we were there we stayed in a bunkhouse with some other people. On the Saturday evening we made a campfire (well actually someone else made it we just had to get our butts out to it).



Sunday morning (day of departure) when we were all hanging about to lazy to leave.


Bye bye gorgeous bunkhouse!

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Just felt like sharing..

Sara Bareilles is one of my favourite singer/songwriters. This song is one I kept listening too nonstop before I went on my trip




Also check out Sara's collaboration with another great singer Ingrid Michaelson (who is also one of my favorites) I just found a song they did together today and it it of course brilliant, and here is the link. Also here is a something about when they made it.

Monday 5 April 2010

I'm watching Grey's anatomy and eating dinner (dinner being a sandwich) whilst trying really really hard to stop thinking of the Goblin King! It is not going well...



*sigh* Well what can I do? My brain has decided to obsess about him, not my fault will just have to let it pass by it self. Just like I had to do with my Wolverine obsession, I mean that only lasted.. well about 16 years so far and I'm expecting it to pass any day now!

Sunday 4 April 2010

Goblin, fairies and trolls

Anybody who knows me well knows I live in a fairy tale world all off my own (or like people call it: lala land).
Also I have a tendency to get unhealthily obsessed with the strangest of things. The best example of that would be my obsession with the X-men comics, I started reading them when I was about 12-13 years old, and never stopped.
When I was younger I was really worried that I would one day grow out of my fairytale mind. I remember looking at adults and thinking that one day I would be like them and only live in the "real" world. But this year I am turning 30 and it's very clear that I will never loose this mind of mine (unless I go senile when older or something) so for that I am very grateful.

Anyways the point of this rant was to share with you all my latest obsession, I was recently introduced to this children movie from 1986. I had never even heard if it which I feel is a great pity, but at least I have found it now.
The movie was called the Labyrinth and has the amazing David Bowie in it playing the Goblin King!


Now I have never actually had the hots for David Bowie (and still don't), but the Goblin King, well...wow!
Also the girl Jennifer Connelly (now a grown up actress playing in movies such as Blood Diamond and He's Just Not That In To You) is a good actress and seem very sweet.

So my advice is twidlypeeps. Watch this movie (if you haven't already)! The storyline is actually really good and David Bowie is awesome as the Goblin King and I'm not just saying that cause he's hot as the Goblin King (which he is), he's also a really really good actor.

There is really only one think wrong with the movie. It ends the only way it really can end but the ending does leave the desire for a sequel. This coming from the woman that even though she loves X-men (and especially Hugh Jackman) wish they would stop making sequels to the movies since they are mucking it up more and more. This movie thou practically begs for a sequel and so am I.
So please please please if someone important reads this, please make a sequel. This movie needs an ending and I'm quite sure whoever has seen it knows what ending I want.

Also how come I can't seem to find any good fan fic for this movie? I've found some but so far nothing good. I want some where the characters haven't completely changed personality! Just some simple what happened next stories but so far no luck :-( If anybody knows of a good Labyrinth fan fic please share. There is loads of great X-men fics out there so there must be atleast one good labyrinth fic too.

Oh and Karin, have you seen this movie when you were younger? If so shame for not telling me about it! And if you haven't then I'll bring it next time I go home and you can watch it with the kids.

Monday 8 March 2010

International woman’s day

Today is international woman’s day!

This appears to be something not celebrated in the UK. I just looked thru the Sun, The times and the Guardian on the net and found nothing! To be honest I only breezed thru the pages so I guess there might be some small footnote somewhere that I missed, but all in all, very disappointing!
Sweden on the other hand is mentioning it as a headliner in there newspapers. The one I’ve been reading the most being Aftonbladet (=the afternoon paper).The sad thing is that the newspaper has done some articles on how equal things are between men and women in Sweden, sad because the answer is that things really aren’t (equal that is).
Women still get paid less then men for doing the same work, and when it comes to positions high up on the ladder, women generally get passed over. Completely!

When I was little I never knew things weren’t equal, I always just assumed that of course women would get paid the same as men and get the same high positions. It was only when I started reading and watching the news that I realise I was wrong. The thing is I never really understood why this is. I was brought up with a sister and two brothers and we were always told that how capable we were had nothing to do with what sex we had. You study hard to get the job you want and then nothing can stop you from getting to the top!
Now I did by all accounts not go for that route since I finished studying after college. I would have gone to Uni if I could have gotten into the course I wanted (which was Journalism) but studying was never really my cup of tea so my grades weren’t good enough (also there was some bullying issues which didn’t help my chances much). But now being an adult I know something I didn’t know when I was younger, I am very smart (bullying does screw your self value up quite a lot), I kind of always thought I was, but it was something I never fought for. I wouldn’t admit the things I completely suck at (such as maths) and I only recently realised I have an affinity for things such as numbers (I seem to memorise bank number, tax numbers etc for no particular reason). But these days I can happily admit what I can’t do and fight to prove the things that I can do. Most important of all, I am very dedicated to my work. It doesn’t matter what I work with, I arrive on time unless I have a very good reason for being late. I take great pride in doing my work and I will offer to do more if I finish my tasks. I like organizing things to an almost ridiculous degree and I even make a good team leader, any company would be lucky to have me! And if I did get a job it turns out I wasn’t good at I would quite because I can’t stand NOT doing a good job. I have been responsible for a big number of people and I have sorted out problems that hasn’t really fallen on my shoulder to sort out and the older I get the more I want to find a good steady position in a company that I can work my way to the top in. I want to work for a company were I have a future! My only issue is that I also love to travel making the work thing hard, and finding this great company to work for isn’t easy either. I honestly believe that being a manager for a company is something I would be great at and I have on numerous occasions thought about starting up my own business.
So why haven’t I you might ask? Well this goes back to me being smart again. I know my strength and that I have a goods chance of pulling it off if I did start my own company, but on the financial climate of today I am worried about the large amount of money involved. I mean I could probably get a loan but what if the financial climate gets even worse and people stop spending even more? Plus I could be wrong, good business ideas fail everyday because life is unpredictable and I refuse to ever consider going bankrupt! So what I really need is a good capital to start up with myself, meaning any possible money loss would be considerably reduced. But if I make money I find it hard to not spend it on my other passion (travel), also I’m not sure whether or not I would be good at the tax side of being self-employed, especially since the tax office will go to considerable lengths to NOT help you.

OK I know I’ve been rambling on for a bit now, I guess what I was trying to get across is that it is economically unwise for a company to just hire men. If you want your company to be the best it can be you hire the smartest and most suited person for the job, and I refuse to believe that if they did that they would only be hiring men.
And secondly we should all celebrate International woman’s day! Now I don’t think woman are better then men and I can understand if men go, what about us? Why only celebrate women’s day. Well guys you are great and all but women didn’t use to have the right to vote etc so we should celebrate how far we’ve made it. And being the smart men I hope most of you are you should try and help us women get equal rights in pay etc, because you know it’s only fair.You know what they say: Behind every successful man is a wise woman. Well the same works in reverse so we kind of need the wise men to help us out on this one

Here is some more info about The international Woman's day if you are interested.

Thursday 25 February 2010

Boston

This is the first art of my trip with pics (well the once that were saved anyways) And we start in Boston on the 13/10/09.

I wish I had an image of what I saw when the plane was flying in to land in Boston. Looking out the window I saw so many trees and greenery, all in different shades of green, red and copper. The autumn colours where gorgeous and it had a calming effect on my nerves as I was getting ready for the first day of my 3 ½ month long adventure.

The airport was smaller then I thought it would be, and cleaner.
It was a good start to being in the states. Finding the right bus was a bit harder but not too bad. The worst bit came in getting to the hostel. First going by bus from the airport lugging my big backpack around and then trying to get onto the right subway, squeezing into a confined space with the bag, and of course it was boiling as all subways seem to be. To then find the place from the station was no easy task, the instructions left on the hostelbookers website being about as useful as a soup spoon with a hole in it. I asked a young woman what direction to go, she in return sent me down the wrong way (why people rather make something up then just say that they don’t know is beyond me) making a 10 min walk turn into a 40min walk, with a 23kilo heavy bag on my back and a smaller one in front.

HI - Boston Downtown hostel was better then I had expected (this being my first hostel experience). The bed was reasonably clean and so were the bath rooms. They also gave you a pair of flip flops to use in the shower whilst you were there. And best of all, breakfast was free and it was bagels every day. If rating them from 1 to 5 (5 being best) I guess I would give them 3 1/2.

The first night I wasn’t planning on doing anything but soon found out that hostels generally have some event on every night. I could either go bowling or go out for an evening of comedy stand up at a local pub. I decided to go for the comedy evening since I was quite tired and therefore thought bowling would be a bad idea.
The show was pleasant enough and the stand-up OK (but not brilliant) and I went to bed tired and happy.

On my second day in Boston I bought a mobile phone to use in the states (for texting home) and then I went exploring. I did a tour of parts of the freedom trail then went around looking at buildings and taking pictures. One thing I noticed was the amount of squirrels (soo cute) and the fact that they didn’t seem afraid of people. The weather in Boston was surprisingly a lot colder then England but clear and crisp so still nice.


Boston is actually quite a beautiful place and I enjoyed walking around.


If I don't remeber incorrectly that dome is covered with leaf gold.


And this is the funniest thing . Apparently there was a famous General and his surname was Hooker.
So guess what?! Someone came up with this sign to show where the entrance to his office used to be when he was alive:


In the evening I went to the Museum of fine art. They have free entrance on Tuesday evenings. The museum was huge and very very good. After that I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
And then finally on the third day I got on a greyhound bus and continued my travel onwards towards Niagara Falls! The bus was actually really nice and new with big but uncomfortable seats.

How do you feel about being dead...

She said one to the other...

Thursday 11 February 2010

Quick update

So I have now been back in the UK for just over 2weeks and I am starting work tomorrow! And on Saturday I am moving into my own place (well room). So everything is going forward as it should.

I am already busy planning away at my next trip as well as what I will be getting up to here in the UK. For example I am planning on going hiking in a couple of weeks time at Brecon Beacons in Wales with a bunch of Couchsurfers, well that's if everything goes to plan. I also have loads of other stuff I'm looking into that I will of course share here.

On another note, I have decided to go through all my pictures that I have left (since a lot of them were destroyed) and post the best ones on here. I will soon start a diary post were I go through what happened on my trip. Since I did kind of keep a diary so should have quite a good idea of what happened when (thou I don't promise anything).

Friday 5 February 2010

Missing South America

I have this picture on my desktop:



It makes me feel a bit better when I feel sad that I'm back in England and not in South America anymore.

Monday 25 January 2010

Back in England!

Came back to England this morning.

Yesterday I was walking around Sao Paulo feeling a bit chilly since it was "only" +21 degrees. Today I've been walking around in +5 degrees feeling like Im going to freeze to death.

Yesterday I had no worries.
Today I've been on the phone to my credit card people since my bank screwed up the direct debit I set up. Can I prove it? No I wish! I set the payments up with one of my banks staff (Barclays), me on one side of the table whilst she was tapping away at the computer. I've written down on a piece of paper how much I wanted the payments set up as (sorted all my bills out at the same time, normally I like to transfer the money myself every month for all my bills but since I was going to be away for 3 1/2 months that wouldn't have worked), but now find out the CC was set up as £20 lower. Meaning I havent been paying off enough money each month, meaning I lost my 0% promo that was running til dec 2010 and actually now owe more money then when I left!

So yeah not all that happy to be back.

Oh and one more disaster, a big one! I was having issues with one of my cameras memory cards (long storry ending in the fact that the pics appeared to have been erased from the card) and I was going thru the rest today when I realise another one wasn't working either. I took it into a camera shop who kindly tried their best to save my pictures (Station road cameras in Reading who are now my personal heroes) after PC world told me they couldn't (but they did tell me to try the camera shop which was very good of them) and they saved most of my picture thou sadly far from all were rescued. Also it appears my movie footage's arent vieuable. This making me very sad since it means I lost the only footage of me Paragliding (I filmed myself and the vieu), which was quite an event seeing I don't do well with hights. But I will double check with the camera shop tomorrow that the films definitly are lost or if I just dont have the right program to vieu them.

So Im happy a lot of the pictures are saved, but as I'm sure you can guess not very happy that they needed saving in the first place. It appears a faulty card reader was to blame, which is especially ironic since I got the card reader so I could copy the images onto a USB as a backup incase something happened to the cards. Meaning me trying to be smart and save the images is what destroyed them!

I end with a picture from Brazil showing what I miss...
And promise I will update blog with the rescured pictures very soon.