Xtina+Adam, Selsey, Blood

Ok, time for another blog post I think. I do have one sitting in drafts but ima leave that until September for when I actually go and feel it for myself (you’ll see).

Ok, first up, in regards to September, we’re going to Selsey! And Chris is coming with us! YAY! We have never been to Selsey in September before so it’ll be an interesting experience to say the least. We have been there June, July, August and October but never September. While we are there, hopefully we’ll go to Earnley Butterflies, Birds and Beasts to see the said creatures and artifacts from HMS Hazardous (this is what the awaiting blog post is about). I just can’t wait to be in Selsey again, I don’t care what the time of year is (as long as it isn’t October/March -_-). I’M TAKING A VIDEO CAMERA and my camera when I get it back on Tuesday (please goddesses!!!!!).

From my previous post you will see that my ULTIMATE fan wish came true. My favourite singer and my favourite band IN THE WHOLE WORLD recorded a song together. I swear, I nearly died when it was announced. I enever ever ever ever expected that in a million years!!!! AND IT IS SO GOOD TOO! Just listen, you might be surprised Yesterday, I stayed up really late to watch them perform it together. Sigh. I love them both so much and they both looked hot (well, Adam looked hotter tbh – I like a man in a suit). Waiting for it to show up on UK iTunes so I can put it on my BlackBerry and blast it from my speakers!!! It’s so summery and I love the colourful 80′s/Saved By The Bell visuals!

♥

Onto the next thing. I am now a registered blood donor. Inspired by Alice’s Bucket List I signed up when I go and give my first pint away, I’m going to go on the bone marrow register too. I’m going to give blood at Westcroft on the 26th of July so I can go to my nan’s with my mum and eat, then take a walk there. I thought it was high time that I showed that famous humanitarian streak that Aquarians have. I know it’s always been there, I’ve always needed a genuine reason to show it. I’m not scared, I am actually really really excited about it! At least now I feel like I have something to give people so I can actually do some good in this world!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Talking about my camera, Eve is back in court on the 28th to be sentenced so as I said before, I really really really hope I get my bleeding camera back!!!

So to summarise; Selsey, fangasm, blood, camera.

Tippy x

Moves Like Jagger

I’ll just leave this here.

Things to say.

I really suck at keeping a blog right? Don’t answer that. I actually have a lot to write about but I don’t know how I would say it.

2011 started on a pretty low point. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. My money from JSA had been stopped in November. I couldn’t find a job. I had almost no money. I had things to pay for. I was in trouble and it had been getting worse for months because I like to bury my head in the sand. But something changed when the Wheel turned on the 20th of March. That light at the end of the tunnel started off as a pinprick but slowly grew; I just couldn’t see it yet.

In February I decided to change my spirituality. Christened as a baby, I was felt I had a duty to have some sort of believe in Christianity. I love the symbolism of it and I love the faith itself. But I have never been a Christian. As you may have noticed from other entries, I love the earth. I believe in Mother Nature and believe that she is in control. Chris brought me back two books from the charity shop, ‘Wicca’ and ‘Paganism’, as a joke in reference to Buffy and Willow. Something clicked in my head. This is the path I have been on for all of my life. I just didn’t understand it yet. I came to realise that this is what I truly believed in. Everything the book said made sense to me and when I got to the part that said:

“Mining, logging, deforestation, the lowering of the water table, all these short-term economic benefits were persued at the expense of the long-term viability of our planet. Nature was seen as available for exploitation; we were in control. We were wrong. The powers of the elements are not under our control. We cannot hold back the seas that erode our coastlines, the gales that destroy cities and forests, the raging forest fires of over-dry summers, or the earthquakes and volcanoes that threaten to engulf some of our land. Climatic change, global warming, environmental conferences, CFC gases; our newspapers are full of such phrases. Nature is like our mother. We can abuse her and she will tolerate us because we are her children; but there will become a point where she has had enough. The Great Mother gives birth to our species, but she also receives us into death.” – Vivienne Crowley

I knew that is something I have agreed with all of my life. Finally I have found the path that I can follow and one I understand. Some will associate Wicca with witchcraft and they would be correct. But not all Wiccans call themselves witches and not all witches call themselves Wiccans. It is a spirituality where there are no set guidelines or rules (other than the Wiccan Rede and their own Book of Shadows). There is no bible or other holy book. Each Wiccan is free to follow his or her own path. I am going to be an eclectic Wiccan which means I will be borrowing from different traditions and making my own which most definitely suits me! I will have my Sabbat altar where I will celebrate the Wheel of the Year. I will have my Sabbat rituals and will do them skyclad (yes naked) and I will have a cauldron (a symbol for the womb and fertility – not hubble tubble toil and trouble). But I will not be a witch. Not yet anyway I will have a besom/broom which is a symbol for luck. Witches got the notion of flying on their brooms from flying ointment which made them high and made them believe they were actually flying! I will celebrate Hallowe’en with more glee than I already do (I knew there had to be a reason for loving Hallowe’en so much!!!). My easter starts on the 20th of March, not when people take the cue from Christianity (even non-religious types!). My Christmas has become Yule and starts on the 21st of December.

My aunt Jacqueline is a Buddhist and she has her own sanctuary in her flat. Some Wiccans borrow from Buddhist beliefs. She is pleased that I have chosen a similar path.

Last week I was at my lowest point. My mum sorted out my money problems but I still had no money. On Wednesday, I got a missed call and it turned out to be from a job I applied for about 2 weeks ago. I was invited to an interview and the job is in Kingston. We arranged it for Friday morning.

I chose my black shirt, my navy trousersuit and my Arabian Glow Teal Waters nail varnish and a matching necklace and eyeshadow. I caught the train at 09:18 and got to Kingston at 10:25. I got to the place and I liked it straight away. Although small, it was familiar to me and had a display of laptop chargers in the counter. I got to see the man at 11:15ish. The interview went very well and I think he liked me because of my experience. So afterwards, I went off and wandered around Kingston for about fifteen minutes before getting bored and catching the train to go home. I was home in just over an hour and I was shattered after waking up at 6:30am.

At around 3pm, I started drifting off to sleep. My phone rang at 3:30pm and I was offered the job. I’m gonna enjoy getting the train in the morning

So in one week, my life changed. It is funny how these things happen. As I said, I definitely felt something shift when the Wheel turned and it was Ostara. It is the time of of fertility, birth and renewal. Pretty appropriate that this has happened at this time of year. Do you see why I feel so connected to it? I don’t expect you to understand but it is what I believe in. It is what I have always believed in. I just didn’t fully know it yet (I always had a ‘feeling’ but I never knew what it was).

Another thing I wanted to talk about was the earthquakes and tsunami that occured in Japan on the 11th of March. I feel other than my love for Japan, it is appropriate for what I have been saying about Mother Nature and how she is in control and has always been. I am heartbroken by what happened and I know that they will get back on their feet.

I also have another entry about Selsey and their connection to the sea coming up (I even gathered news articles a while ago!).

Oh! And another thing which doesn’t relate to any of the above. Two words.

LAS. VEGAS.

This trip will be happening in around 2030 (ha) and it will consist of me, Chris, Raj, Chris G and Nicolai having the week of our lives in beautiful Nevada. We will get the plane to Atlanta then shall road trip across (I know it is a long way) to Nevada. We will lose money in the casinos, watch a booby show or three, swim in the Flamingo’s tropical pool, visit the Mob exhibition at the legendary Tropicana and best of all, visit the Little A’Le’Inn and Area 51. It will be amazing and I cannot wait.

Another thing.

Christina Aguilera. The Voice. With Adam Levine.

*Dies of too much fan girl goodness*

THAT IS A DREAM COME TRUE. My two favourite artists working together. I swear that of they collabo, I will die of happiness and will need to be rescusitated(sp???).

Ok, now I am rambling and not making much sense. I had my hair cut too. It is now just below my shoulders and I have a fringe. Yes. I like it and I am growing out the colour from December. It is much lighter than it was as well because I have been using the John Frieda Blonde stuff. Jane said that my hair is in terrible condition and I had to get it into better condition before she will do anything with it. I want blonde highlights again.

Ok bye.

Tippy x

PS:- I guess I did know how to say it afterall.

2010 in a nutshell =)

*Looks sheepish*.

Hello.

Shall I do my updates?

Jennifer Testa

Well, as you can see from previous updates, we sadly lost Manda’s mum to cancer. I attended her funeral with Chris and supported Manda. It was a really nice service and it was obviously really sad as well. In fact, I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since she died already! Manda seems to be coping well and has got on with her life although not have her mum there in person for Christmas was really hard for her I think that’s what I was going to say on this.

Chris

I can’t remember lol. Does that make me a bad girlfriend? This was all the way back in June!

Work

I finished at Open Door but Jackie is trying to get me back there! I was told I hadn’t been allowed back because the guy in charge of payments knows me.

Birds

In May, we got an Avery with cockatiels and with Jack, that makes 8 altogether!

Glasses

I got a pair of Transitions lenses. Yep.

Weddings

This really should be the big one tbh. In June, my cousin Steven got married to Donna:

And in September, Martin and Stephanie got married:

Other things that happened (in no particular order):

Sadly, a few days after this picture was taken, we lost our beautiful boy. His health deteriorated rapidly, he fell asleep and he died at 2am. I regret not doing a separate entry for him as I don’t remember the exact day he died RIP old boy, we love you and miss you.

We decorated the bathroom (yes, that is a very bright pink):

Daniel’s 18th birthday:

Got pretty drunk on Jacques cider and brandy. Also had some weird wine stuff that looked like Rosé but tasted like red wine. Bluergh. We also let off chinese lanterns.

Infest:

Got to Bradford at around 8:30am and it was a pretty good weekend. I think we were a bit put out because it was all so different! On the Saturday, we weren’t allowed into the town centre because of riots. When we got to the uni, there was extra security and we could hear the helicopter over the city (which is about a mile away).

London Film and Comic Con:

This was a brilliant day!!! I met the Cigarette Smoking Man and the cast from Being Human! I lost my favourite belly bar though

Museum of London:

Our original plan was that Chris had a meeting with an employment agency in Farringdon and as it turns out, we went for a wander and discovered that the Museum of London was a few minutes walk away! So we went off and it was good! I’ve been there before and it was only the bit about Celtic Britain that reminded me of what it was like when I went there. The Victorian section freaked me out a little as it felt like I remembered what it was like. Chris described it as deja vu. The little Vauxhall exhibition freaked me out even more because it was so familiar.

Leysdown:

We went to the Isle of Sheppey the week before Halloween and it was good but cold. The sea was really high so the beach was closed. Dunican knocked his pint on my lap and I felt tipsy on lager for the first time ever. Um… that’s about it lol.

Buffy/Angel:

This year, I got back into Buffy and Angel in a big way. Collecting stuff and I have all the DVD’s now too. Loads of books! Buffy’s silver cross. Just finished the Buffy DVD’s and have a whole season of Angel left. I am sad about this. I need to get a big shelf in my room for all my stuff :p

THE HAIR:

White blonde, pink, fruit salad, pink and blonde, Katie Weasel, golden mahogany brown, Rod Stewart and now darker golden mahogany brown. My hair has seen a lotta colours this year.

Burlesque:

NotmuchtosayotherthanIhaven’tseenityet #badstan

Snow:

We had a lotta snow this year! On three separate occasions; January, November and December. If it had snowed like that at the same time, it would have been the same amount of snow we had in February 2009! It snowed the week before xmas and disappeared yesterday after a few days of ice rink.

Christmas 2010:

Nothing spectacular happened tbh. I got Jack the Ripper: The Casebook, The Titanic Experience book, loads of chocolate, Hello Kitty brush with my name on it, Buffy silver cross necklace, Snuggie, slippers, 2 china Geisha dolls, Buffy Watcher’s Guide vol. 3… um… I don’t remember what else lol.

I think that’s about it to be honest. 2010 has been a bit crap lol. Hope 2011 is better I’ve got a few plans tbh.

Do an 8-week pre-Navy training training course (I wanted to join the Navy but thanks to Labybloodyrinthbloodyitis, I can’t!

Start my Interior Design Courses with the National Design Academy. It’ll start off with Diploma then I’ll go onto Foundation Degree and then BA(Hons).

Finish learning to drive.

They’re my main goals!

But yeah. That’s all for now.

Tippy x

X-X-X-T-T-T-I-I-I-N-N-N-A-A-A

Everytime I go to update this, I always stop. Is it because I don’t want to or is it because I can’t be bothered? Well, a bit of both really. There are a few things I need to update on and yes I know that I said I was gonna do it a couple of weeks ago but I forgot cos I don’t get very long at lunch and I was enjoying the sun in the Queen’s Gardens too much! I’m going to do an update every day basically telling you of the things I was gonna tell you.

*Sigh*

(Please contain your excitement)

Bionic
Jennifer Testa
Chris
Work
Birds
Glasses
Weddings

So first of all:

01. Bionic ☆☆☆☆
02. Not Myself Tonight ☆☆☆
03. Woohoo (feat. Nicki Minaj) ☆☆☆☆☆
04. Elastic Love ☆☆☆☆☆
05. Desnudate ☆☆
06. Love & Glamour (Intro)
07. Glam ☆☆☆
08. Prima Donna ☆☆
09. Morning Dessert (Intro)
10. Sex for Breakfast ☆☆☆
11. Lift Me Up ☆☆☆☆
12. My Heart (Intro)
13. All I Need ☆☆☆☆☆
14. I Am ☆☆☆☆
15. You Lost Me ☆☆☆☆☆
16. I Hate Boys ☆
17. My Girls (feat. Peaches) ☆
18. Vanity ☆☆☆☆☆

Deluxe edition bonus tracks:

19. Monday Morning ☆☆☆☆
20. Bobblehead ☆☆☆
21. Birds of Prey ☆☆☆☆☆
22. Stronger than Ever ☆☆☆
23. I Am (Stripped) ☆
24. Little Dreamer (iTunes only) ☆☆☆☆☆

Before I start, I’d like to reassure you that I am a stan. I really am. I became a fan in 2004 and a stan in 2006. I have all of her albums, all of the Stripped singles, tour merchandise, posters, the Bionic Fan Edition etc. You get the drift.

Above, you will see the complete tracklisting for Bionic with a rating out of 5. Some songs I dislike a lot (I Hate Boys) and some I love (You Lost Me). None of Bionic is really real electro or synthpoppy; only Little Dreamer being the closest to it. I must say I’m a little disappointed. I was expecting an amazing album but I feel a little let down. The songs are slowly growing on me so perhaps I’ll change my mind.

So onto the songs themselves:

Stand out tracks: Bionic (electro-ish), Not Myself Tonight (I still love it!), Woohoo (urban pop), Elastic Love (electro/synthpoppy), Sex for Breakfast (slow, sensual r’n'b jam), Lift Me Up (Haiti version is better though), All I Need (beautiful lullaby), You Lost Me (gorgeous ballad, the lyrics “thi-i-i-i-s is tragic” describe the tone of the song perfectly), Vanity (hilarious), Birds of Prey (dark synthpop which reminds us a little of Delirium) and Little Dreamer (sunny synthpop with a very sad message. Reminds me a lot of Together in Electric Dreams by Giorgio Moroder and Phillip Oakey).

Above meh: Monday Morning (gets stuck in my head a lot), Bobblehead, Stronger Than Ever, I Am (a grower though!), Morning Dessert (although it’s an intro).

Meh: Desnudate, Glam (sounded really good on HMV’s instore sound system), Prima Donna (her vocals remind me of MJ in the chorus), My Girls (sounds like it’s from a P!nk album).

No: I Hate Boys (thank god it’s short – the best thing about it is the chant).

Songs I ♥: Little Dreamer, Birds of Prey, Woohoo, You Lost Me (it’s a heartbreaker), Elastic Love, Lift Me Up

It sounds really good out loud on a decent pair of speakers as I found out on Saturday whilst getting ready for Steven and Donna’s wedding!

If I try and ignore the pang of disappointment, Bionic is a good album. Really. It has some great stand out tracks surrounded by some not so great ones. I just wish Christina was allowed to put all of the songs onto one edition (including the fabled Kimono Girl by Ladytron). Please have b-sides Christina!
The best songs are the ones by the amazingly talented Sia and Ladytron!

With regards to the toned down vocals, it proves that C/X has a great voice which isn’t just good for belting! I love the way she uses her voice. She even raps in Woohoo! I love the robotic drone in Elastic Love and lovely control in You Lost Me and Lift Me Up.

Overall:

Mrs Bratman has shown that she is versatile and creative, I just wish she had been able to show it. I know she is capable of so much more than what we got in Bionic. Fairly good with room for improvement so here’s hoping for a re-release with more synthpoppy/experimental music! We’ve only had a taster of the direction Christina wanted to go in. I just hope we see it soon.

☆☆☆½

Not Myself Tonight

Enjoy!

Yes!

Cause I’m doing things that I normally won’t do
the old me’s gone I feel brand new
and if you don’t like it FUCK YOU

=)

She’s back.

You ready?

Tippy x