2014

(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.

(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!

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.

 

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.

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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Statue Garden

A few photos from the Statue Garden at MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Independence Day

Despite being part American I’ve never really celebrated 4th of July as I grew up in the UK with two very unpatriotic parents. So 2014 marks my first ever July 4th! I spent the day with my cousin (isn’t she pretty?) and it was a perfect mixture of friends, food, football matches, fireworks and excessively aggressive drunken karaoke.We watched the fireworks from the closed off FDR avenue.The entire road was filled with people talking and drinking, clambering over road signs, hiding in bushes, wearing light up grills (as you do) and just generally running around being hysterical.

I love fireworks, street parties and running around befriending people (i.e. all the people in these photos) so it was right up my alley. I reckon July 4th has the edge over Bonfire Night because there was no need to involve the usual extra thermals we Brits succumb to for half the year. We finished off the night riding a crazy disco cab across the entire city, complete with goldfish bowl and blaring eighties hits. God bless America…

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Lower East Side

These photos were taken in a small park down in the Lower East Side. My first stop on the Lower East Side was the Bowery Ballroom, where my beloved Amy had her first ever US show (I share an office with the man who organised it so I know all the details!). Speaking of which, guess which fellow North Londoner might be following in her footsteps this time next year?

The High Line

Hello from New York! As you may know, I’m spending July travelling the US. I’m part American and have been to the states every couple of years since I was a toddler, but not for quite as long a trip as this one will be. I decided to start in New York City; even without the cheap flights and direct air route it’s one of my favourite places in the world. This is about the 5th or 6th time I’ve been to New York over the years.

These pictures were mostly taken around the High Line and surrounding area. The High Line is a really lovely development which was originally a central railroad and has been repurposed into a kind of extended garden and walkway, which goes all the way through Chelsea up to the Meatpacking District. It’s thunderstorm season in New York at the moment which means it’s incredibly hot, both day and night but there is the perpetual threat of these furious downpours, accompanied by apocalyptic purple skies, crackling lightning and rolling thunder. It’s all a lot more dramatic than the shades of grey and drizzle we are accustomed to in London though and I am secretly a big fan of inclement weather (Stranger Than Fiction, anyone?) although I could probably do with remembering my umbrella next time…

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Boarding Pass II

Hello from Heathrow! Almost exactly a year ago I was sat in this very restaurant, blogging in Terminal 3 with James before we went to Mauritius. Whilst we were over there I decided that of all the many things I do my absolute favourite was writing and playing songs, and I should try and carve out more time for that. One year later and I’m off to visit the other half of my family in America for 4 weeks of playing songs!

I love planes and I love New York and I really love seeing my cousins, so the next few weeks should be pretty awesome. It will be the longest time James and I have been apart since we met but seeing as he’s book-ending my trip with lifts to the airport I can’t complain!

I might not be blogging so much but I’ll be around on Instagram (@lailapictures) and Snapchat (@tapeparade) which I’ve recently started using properly (how great is the my story function???), so let’s keep in touch! X