An old love... The Hills

I have rediscovered an old love.... The Hills and with that comes Lauren Conrad....

I have been watching the latest season of 'Celebrity' Big Brother and have been engrossed with the rest of the nation as I have watched the ridiculous antics of Heidi and Spencer aka Speidi. He hasn't changed one bit, but Heidi has turned into the girl Lauren feared and knew she would become. Spencer's lapdog. Yes, I know some of The Hills episodes were scripted to a degree, but no amount of money in the world would make me act like a complete and utter Pratt. So, after having Speidi thrown back in my face after a few years absence, I decided to revisit one of my favourite reality shows of all time. 

It just so happens that MTV played random episodes last weekend, and I had borrowed season three from my friend, so I began watching and fell in love with it all over again, and of course Lauren Conrad. 

LC is what all us girls aspire to be, pretty, smart, friends with everyone, dresses well and has the best one liners. You all know that the forgive and forget you line is engraved in your memory. All the reasons why Heidi begged for three seasons to be back in her circle.  The Hills wasn't the same when she left but I have been following her since. Her activities since leaving cater to my shallow needs. The chick lit, the beauty books, the blog. So far I have done her five day vegan detox, use a sulphate free shampoo and concealer has become my best friend. I have a wedding in a few months and that book is sure to get me the look I am going for, like I said it caters to my shallow needs. Payday is looming and I will have to invest in season four as I have The Hills fever all over again. 

Reasons why I love The Hills

Lauren and Whitney... They are dead cute, and I like to think me and my friend Rachel are the English versions of them

Justin Bobby... How a boy who looks like he barely washes is that attractive I do not know but he is beautiful

Heidi and Spencer... It was at times cringy to watch how Heidi begged after Lauren's friendship especially as most of this was done behind Spencer's back but made for great television. And he, well, I don't have all the time in the world to rant about him but I will use two words to describe him. Nuts. Possessive.

The one liners... The most memorable lines for me were of course said by Lauren. The list is as long as my arm but here are my ultimate faves... 

"I wanna forgive you... and i wanna forget you!"

"The only thing worse than Spencer is a girl version of Spencer. Because at the end of the day, a guy can't hit a girl...but a girl can hit a girl."

"Whitney come here, I just met a cute guy, tell me if hes cute cause I'm drunk."

"If I've learned one thing it's like everyone and trust no-one"

"So he returns your calls, which Justin didn't. He likes to kiss, which Justin didn't. He bathes, which Justin didn't. UPGRADE!"

"Homeboy wore combat boots to the beach, I know you don't want to call that your boyfriend."

"Hey bubba...life's tough... get a helmet!!"

What are your faves lines, episodes and characters?

x

Instafan

Anyone who knows me knows I am an advertisers dream. From TV shows to products to apps, I will usually succumb to buying into a product. And the latest thing I am now on a hype on is.....

Instagram (if my witty play on words title didn't give it away)

I don't take a lot of photos usually, I'm over the digital camera hype, but now I'm on the iPhone hype and getting to know the ins and outs of my favourite phone to date, I have started to use Instagram. I just love how you can manipulate pictures. This will hopefully get rid of the bad drunken photos I'm prone to taking after 1 Jager too many.

Whilst I am still figuring out how to use it properly as I currently only follow friends and @womaninthejungle, a natural hair blogger, I am having tremendous fun. Now to go hunt for celebs. First find Kardashians and RiRi.

Below are a few of my fave pics that I have taken.

Who else is on the hype? Follow me @rochelledionne87

X

Am I Sheldon Cooper?

Lately there seems to be a running joke in work that I am Sheldon Cooper.
It's not that I possess a high IQ or the vocabulary of a genius, or even that I am into comics or Star Wars/Trek. It just so happens that I struggle to understand sarcasm.

I know the definition of course, and do not seem to struggle with the concept outside of the office, but when I am in work with people I am still getting to know it becomes difficult. I always ask the same question Sheldon does 'was that sarcasm?' If the answer was a resounded YES, then I wouldn't have to ask if their bitter gibes were in fact truth or shit banter...

Surely I am not the only one with this issue?

X

Merry Christmas to all...

Whether you celebrate Christmas for religious reasons (as I do) or for the presents or if you do not celebrate at all, I sincerely hope you have all had a very happy holiday.

I have truly had an amazing time, which was filled with laughs, food, wine, presents and more food.

Christmas breakfast consisted of a traditional Jamaican meal. Ackee & Saltfish, fried breadfruit and plantain and bread and butter. Amazing. Dinner made my tastebuds dance even more as I was literally overwhelmed by the choice. I filled my plate with turkey, lamb, pork and fried chicken before piling on rice and peas, salad which included avocado and homemade coleslaw, roastie, and veg. I was so impressed that I became one of those annoying people who uploaded a picture via instagram to facebook and twitter. It just had to be done. I then fell asleep before waking up to watch the soaps and eating cake and a prawn salad. My food baby looked 7 months gone.

Boxing day, leftovers for breakfast then I ventured into town to look in the sales, Walsall was the less busy alternative and I managed to purchase a couple tops and a skirt. Shopping done. I got ready for a black comedy show that literally had me crying with laughter. I've never been to a race specific show before but the jokes were so funny because it was mocking the stereotypes we have of each other. Hilare.

I did the usual visit family thing that we all feel obliged to do even more so at Christmas and played Snakes & Ladders ten times with my nephew who had never played it before. I then headed back to Manchester a day early for me time. Definition being lying down watching iCarly, Victorious and all the things I recorded over the hols.

I write this from my new iPhone (why I've been on the BB hype for so long I do not know) enjoying the rest of me time as I am back in work tomorrow.

So the last thing to do is wish you all a very happy new year...

X

Lizzie Siddal

She arrived, silent, still and beautiful. Alice Florence Rossetti. They took her away as Lizzie broke down in a pool of her own fluids. Laudanum relieved the pain and brought her back. She was very much real to her. 

For months she watched her, nursed her, and rocked her cradle back and forth. Dante watched in fear, for her sanity and his own. He missed the child he never got to know and the wife he once loved unconditionally, but everything changes, and she certainly had. She became nasty, vicious, something unexpected from a beautiful creature. Every so often she would come back, and although the grief was still there, a sparkle in her eyes would appear as she remembered playing catch just off the curb with her siblings. The stew and dumplings her mother used to make and curling up in front of the fire. Dante tried his best, but it was not good enough. 
He attempted to move the cradle, give it to his sister who was due anytime soon. It had been five months after all. She launched at him like a cheetah on its prey, arms flaring. Her nails tearing the flesh from his face as his attempt to defend himself failed. He threw her down and walked out. She clung to the legs of the cradle, weeping like a scene from a Greek play.
He returned days later. She had barely noticed he had gone as she had gotten high for three days straight. They made love. 
He thought the make up sex and her carrying another baby would at least papier-mâché over the cracks. She was barely showing that day she took her life. The day started off as everyday did. Breakfast. Dante left to see an artist friend of his. 
She wrote a note. Black ink, calligraphic handwriting:

‘Oh grieve not with thy bitter tears
The life that passes fast;
The gates of heaven will open wide
And take me in at last.

Then sit down meekly at my side
And watch my young life flee;
Then solemn peace of holy death
Come quickly unto thee.’[1]

She drank the final bottles of her laudanum. Only it understanding her grief as she slumped in a haze.  
As he walked towards their bedroom the atmosphere felt different . She lay still on the bed, note in her hand.
He knew, he just knew. 
He read the note; tears leaving his face hitting the page as the ink ran. He burnt it. She would get a church burial that was deserved of a grieving mother and to save bringing shame upon the Rossetti name, but they all knew.                
Her long copper locks filled her coffin, and in them he put the only copies of his poems. His words with her forever. 


During my Varieties of Fiction module we were given some facts about Elizabeth Siddal an artists' model. 
I had never heard of her but found her story not only sad but very interesting.
This is an extract from the piece I did.

Pen. Paper. Prose. Poetry.

Those who know me know my love for writing. I may not do it as often anymore but pen to paper has always been my release. When me and my sister used to argue, I used to pen poems about how I hated being the youngest (by a minute). And if you read my work for Creative Writing in my first year of Uni, you can gather which pieces were written after my Nan died. Therefore I have decided that I will share some of my work, old and new on with you lucky lot. As stated in my previous post here this blog is a mix, so you never know what you are going to get next.

It has been a while...

I haven't written anything for a while, not on here anyway, I mean it's a new season (not that we saw much of a Summer) but the rain is well and truly pouring, flood warnings for some, and it is dark before the soaps start. The reasons for my lack of writing as petty as this may be to read are I have the slowest laptop in the world, that needs to be plugged in at all times and also blogspot was going on with shreggry (messed up). It was not allowing me to post, I tried, believe me, but no such luck. So here I go again, trying. Fingers crossed. (I have now figured it will not post with pictures so until blogspot sort this, it will have to be old skool I'm afraid)

So what's new?

Well I have yet to blog about the Olympics, Jamaican Independence, Manchester Carnival or my general musings so will give a quick run down.

Olympics- I felt proud to be British and of Jamaican heritage... didn't we do well ay? I also can't get the song that was on the Paralympic adverts out of my head.

Independence- The weekend of independence I went to a Morgan Heritage, Etana and Gyptian concert in Birmingham. It's what us youngsters call a 'big people dance' where although there are people my age there, it is mainly attended by? You guessed it, big people of our parents age. I wore my hair out, rocked that Jamaican pride and partied until the early hours.

Manchester Carnival- I had my Bubz (nephew), best friend and her two girls up for nearly a week. We missed the parade, of course I am only used to getting myself ready so it was a bit of a challenge. We all had fun, ate far too much and the kids got to go on a few rides. I also noticed my Bubz had his first wobbly tooth (it has since come out and the others are on their way.)

So that is really the jist of my Summer. I WILL be writing more often in furture.

x