2014

behind curtain looking outcardiff cat clothes(1 – Dress Of Dreams, 2 – Cats In Cardiff)

Hello, and Happy New Year! I’m writing about 2014 whilst sat in the middle of my room on a box; the rest of my housemates are putting fantasy fairy decorations up in preparation for our party. This year has been a weird mixture of high and low. I’ve had some of my best opportunities, a huge amount of fun, I’ve met so many amazing new people and renewed contact with lots of older friends. The low points have been devastating and far worse than anything I’ve had before, but mostly very few and far between.minnie mouse warehouseSeven Nation ArmyFundacio Joan Miro Barcelona outfit girl dressParc Guell Gaudi Barcelona Spain Tapeparade blog tape paradejessthetics tapeparade jess and laila yellow coat navy east london shoreditch high streetKids with crayons at surya

(1 – Sequinned Minnie, 2 – WOLF PACK, 3 – On Miro, 4 – The Red Skirt, 5 – With Jess, 6 – Kids With Crayons)

Last year I shared my resolutions and I thought I’d do the same this year, as well as a brief catch-up. My resolutions act more as vague goals I might happen to achieve, rather than set targets I work towards.

Keep to a maximum of three projects to focus on – work has seemed a little more paced. Productivity has slowed but I’m definitely having more fun!

Hang out with (long list of friends I don’t see enough) – Yes! I worked on this, facebooking, calling, messaging, e-mailing. It was great!

Tour North America – YES!

Go to Monkey World – No. I also forgot this was a resolution until I clicked on the post a minute ago. Maybe next year!

Go to New York, Disneyland, Brazil and Cambodia – I managed two out of four, plus some other places.

Take James to AMNH (my favourite museum in the world) – no, but this is planned for next year now!

Casanova camel Facebook egypt sensatori sharm el sheikh laila arab bedouin arabic arabia travelling on a camelexmouth marketOregon country fair OCF 2014 fun and games happened tapeparade fields eugene oregonsalt lake city tapeparade USA 2014 travel travelling journal photography tabernacle squareMoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blog

My 2015 resolutions!

1. Lose weight
2. Catch up with (long list of friends)
3. Go to Helsinki, Japan, New York, New Zealand and Russia
4. Record an album
 5. Aim for a zero-waste life
6. Save £5000
7. Make 6 videos

8. Travel with Quizcats

I have no idea how much I weigh and I like the way I look, but I have put on a lot of weight in the last couple of months (lack of sleep and comfort eating). I’ve never been on a diet or attempted to lose weight before, so any pointers appreciated! I’m pretty sure everything else will be simple if I remember to do it. I’m not saving for anything special, I just like the idea of saving up a huge amount of money and spending it on something spontaneous.

Photo on 17-09-2014 at 11.45 #4 laila dancing around office wikimania 2014 tapeparade london IMG_2659 10592539_10154484977775440_285821840_n Silver skirt turquoise teal shirt green coat kings cross london bloggers bas ellie let's see laila tapeparade

This year, honestly?

The lows have been low. Death of my best friend, death of my favourite teacher, death – suicide – of childhood friend, death of close family friend. C4CC closing. Continued issues with projects, continued issues with getting people to come to my gigs.

But it’s also been my best year for a long time, artistically I can’t imagine being happier with a concert than I was with the WOLF PACK concerts at VAULT, I worked my arse off for wikimania, I finally set up a personal website, I started Quizcats, I met an amazing group of people at C4CC, I stayed living in my awesome and happy house.  I took an incredible life-changing trip to America, holidays to Cardiff, Barcelona (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Egypt, Paris. I saw Kate Bush, I met up with lots of blog friends, I helped with the Flimsymoon launch, I directed parties and plays and gigs. From July onwards has been one of the happiest and most joyous times of my life; going out every night, sharing every meal with somebody else, gigs, parties, galleries, museums. Pints and pints and pints. Staying up all night, sleeping in once every 6 weeks and not feeling lazy, calling up my mates, my workmates, my neighbours, my old friends, hanging the hell out with everyone.

Laila Camden town camden market amy winehouse stables statuekate bush getting ready tickets and outfit choicescamden passage bas and ellie vintage shop pink lilac anything let's see ellis' favourite thingsJess Jessthetics Laila tapeparade Belphoebe Rags Of Love Bel South Kensington Streets Photography blog blogging bloggers

It’s been great and I feel so grateful and lucky. Lastly, thank you all so much for reading my blog and sticking with me; I appreciate every single one of you so much. I still find it crazy that people spend their time willingly reading my jumbled words and looking at my amateur snaps!

If you have any suggestions of comments as to what you’d like to see on my blog going forward, I’d love to know! I’ve put together this basic poll. You can select as many things as you want and also add in whatever options or comments – I really take all your suggestions seriously and even one piece of feedback would mean the world to me.

I wish you all a wonderful New Years!

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12 thoughts on “2014

  1. Dulce says:

    This year seriously has been insane, in good and bad ways, but every single moment has its beauty in some way, wish you the best for 2015, you have amazing goals and I’m looking forward to hear your album when you create it.
    Something that really helped me to lose weight was pilates, i’m on my biggest weight now because i’ve been totally lazy, and stop doing them but I had the pilates crunch, and I used to do it daily and omg it helped me a lot, specially because i needed a surgery on that time, now I need to lose weight for healthy reasons again so i’m going back to them.
    Lots of blessings and good vibes for you girl!

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  2. rae says:

    hello, we share mutual feelings (mostly the pain) with everything that has happened in 2014. I wish that everything will work out fine and may we find the strength and heart to accept. I lost my cousin and you lost your best friend. :( As much as I want to read your “About Funerals” post, I don’t want to. yet. I’m not ready. I might be too emotional while reading it. However, I have bookmarked it and will read it soon. I haven’t even written anything yet about my cousin except that one time during silent retreat. I just wish that we can still find reasons to continue living the life we used to live and find the smiles we used to smile. I’m always here in case you need someone to talk too. thank you dear and I hope that 2015 for us will be so much better. God bless and Happy New Year. :) Enjoy Japan and I hope you can visit my country, the Philippines too! You’ll love it here. So much great things to do! hehe.

    xoxo, rae
    http://www.raellarina.net/

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  3. Denise says:

    Happy new year! This year was, for sure, amazing for you and I know it has some lows as well. But it will be better within time, you will see. I liked your resolutions for last year and the new ones for this year! I do recommend Russia and Brazil, I think you will have great fun! If only you could go for Carnival, we could have spent it in Rio de Janeiro! If there’s something you want, just tell me! (I will go. May the force be with me, it’s kind of dangeorus). Maybe we can meet this year in London – I would love to see one of your performances! And dont worry, we put on weight, we lose… I also put on weight (I even wrote about it this week on the blog) and now I am struggling to lose it! It will be fine one day :)
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  4. Christina's says:

    Happy new year!!! Wow looking back at your year and you are go,go, go! Love how you have managed to document it on your blog and taken so many amazing pics :) I need to be more like this. If you come to Cardiff this year give me a shout! I voted more fashion cos I’m a fashion junkie but I would love to see more of your work, backstage, on stage etc! X

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  5. Priya says:

    The year in review posts are always my favorite. 2014 really seems like a mix of extremes for you. I am terribly sorry for the difficult things for you this year, and hope this year brings you so much peace!

    The resolutions sound solid. My uncle lives in Helsinki! Awesome city. We might end up in Finland for Christmas this year!

    ♥ perfectly Priya

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