My first corset - two days of seasoning

Helloooo!

So I generally have a love for all things Victorian - well the social side and fashion to be exact. It would have been the most beautiful period to be born into, with those gorgeous dresses and lovely figures. As a result I have an interest in corsetry, and after watching Madame Bovary (click here for link - Ezra Millar is so gorgeous...) I went a little overboard in my interest and ended up buying a $120 24" short underbust corset.

The site I went to is based in Auckland, New Zealand (corseterie.co.nz) where a lovely lady Jill makes all the corsets they stock. I emailed her with my waist size (27") and she emailed me back with a recommendation. My corset is polyester and cotton, with waist tape, a few spiral steel bones (haven't counted them yet) with a solid busk and flat steel bones for the lacing.

 The first wear was surprisingly comfortable, and I loved how I could run my hands up and down my body and feel the curves, even though it wasn't laced tight. There is some flaring at my ribs and waist, but research tells me that it's normal and to be expected. The corset fits really well, with no weirdly shaped gaps in the laces or anything. As I am a newbie, I am not sure how far up to wear it but I guess during my seasoning I'll work it out. Planning to wear it 2 hrs every day for a week at a snug yet comfortable fit.

When I put it on, I just tightened the long laces not the X's. As I go through my seasoning I'll play with them a little, just to get the feel of things. I don't intend to undergo any waist training, I bought the corset merely so I could get the feel and look of Victorian dress. I intend to wear it both underneath and overtop of clothing once I get brave enough. Also, people complain about how difficult it is to lace a corset by yourself, but I found it pretty easy. Probably an advantage of having a short underbust compared to a scary but beautiful overbust.

I'll add more short posts about my seasoning process as I go.

TTFN

I left Facebook! What's on my mind? 6 months later

I broke it off with Facebook because I was starting my postgraduate degree and decided that it was just another distraction that I didn’t need. FB didn’t want me to leave; even though I’d specifically hunted down the delete rather than the deactivate button, Mr Zuckerberg and his mates still gave me a two week window to come crawling back. I didn’t. So, without further ado, here are some thoughts that I’ve been thinking since I went cold turkey:

1. I’ve been on Facebook since I was 14 (I’m now 21) and was accessing the website and app three times a day on average. As such I considered myself mildly addicted. But, there were no withdrawal symptoms! I felt oddly detached from social media at first, having no Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram or other accounts. Despite this I haven’t missed it in the slightest.

2. It’s forced me to keep in touch (via text and email generally) with friends who don’t live in my town. It’s funny how posting a video link to a friend’s wall can almost feel like ‘Hey, we’ve been in contact now, thanks for the like’. Or even scrolling past on another friends timeline feels like you’ve caught up on their life and you’ve done your ‘catching up’ duty for at least a month.

3. Leading on from the above, all my friends are still on Facebook. And for a lot of them, it’s their primary mode of contact. So I don’t hear from my out-of-town friends very often. It’s made me feel a bit lonely, and sad that some of said friends just can’t make the effort to send a ‘hey, how are you?’ text. I wonder what would happen if everyone left FB.

4. I'm sorry to say that a grand total of three of my friends wished me a happy birthday. Though the important friends did show up to my party, it made me feel rather discounted and alone.

5. I finally understand how integrated social media is in every-day life, and I now feel like an outsider, in a minority. According to Google, ‘how many people are on Facebook?’ is searched more than ‘how many people are on earth? Go on, search it.

6. There is a heck of a lot less drama in my life. Facebook is one big source of your daily bullshit.

7. I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TIME. Granted, some of that time is spent on YouTube, but despite this I am so much more focused on study without annoying notifications or wondering if the guy I like will respond to or ignore my private message. That damn ‘seen’ popup message!

8. I am happier, and am more concerned about real lives rather than the façades I see online.

I encourage you all to leave Facebook, even if it’s just for a little while, and see what kind of difference it makes. Lock your online life in a box and text that friend you haven’t seen/heard from in a while. I promise you, they’ll appreciate it.

My poetry

So recently I've decided to 'come out of the closet' so to speak, but not in the homosexual manner. Put away your lesbian fantasies right now, thank-you-very-much!

No, I am a poet and would like everyone to know it! (unintentional rhyme).

I've been writing free verse with a passion since I was thirteen or so; but was enjoying writing it in school since the age of eleven. First it was just the teenage angsty stuff; tired metaphors and cliches about not fitting in and butterfly crushes. I think that's where it ends for a lot of people. Not for me however, 20 years old and still going strong, I suppose, and I'm actually starting to realise that maybe, just maybe, my stuff isn't actually that bad. Bonus points for discovering that a distant relative (I'm talking three or four generations back, on my dad's side) was once a published poet.

I guess I've been pretty reclusive, I really don't think there's a single person in the world that I could give my little book of pencil scribblings (always pencil, I detest writing in pen) to and say 'here, read whatever the heck you want!' for the simple reason that 99% of everything I write is really quite personal. Seriously though, it's all grayscale, raw, rich truth. Realise then, that if I ever decide to share entire poems with you, you should appreciate it, because for me there is no better way for me to say 'I trust you and you are a very important person in my life'. And if I write poetry FOR someone, like a friend, family member, lover, whoever, well that is a entirely new level all together. Even if I'm wrong about that person later and they've screwed me over or something, the words I have written will always, always be true. I guess because I write in pencil, I have the power to erase everything. But I never have, even with words that are associated with people that don't give me pleasant feelings now.

Moving into performance poetry (also known as spoken word or slam poetry) has been a huge leap of faith for me. I've discovered it is easy enough to perform in front of strangers; though when it comes to people I care about,my heart hammers and my legs tremble and I have to shift my weight to stop myself from falling over. Let alone looking them in the eye, oh no, I will gaze at a spot on the wall until it's over and I can sit down and...breathe.

Words have always been a passion for me; always a reader, always a writer. Why poetry? you may wonder. BECAUSE IT HAS NO RULES! There are no grammar, punctuation rules! You can take things completely out of its normal context and mess with it in any way you like. This is also why I've been a bit wary of poetry competitions; how can one define good poetry? You can't, and that is what makes it one of the most expressive forms of literature. That also means that anyone, everyone can write. And don't give me bull about 'how you have no talent' or you 'just can't' because those are excuses. Also, for the record, poetry is not 'girly' I can guarantee that the majority of the most widely celebrated and classic poets are men. Some beautiful beautiful stuff they have produced too.

My favourite modern poet: Sujata Bhatt
My favourite classic poets: John Keats and John Masefield
And a famous New Zealand poet: James K. Baxter

I guess I owe you a few scraps of my stuff:

'My Mind is fringed with peacock plume,
My Dreams are tinged with an endless sea...
This is my place'  (plan to get this as a tattoo one day)

'Mountains chasing the coast,
       turn back
in defeat;
as the mighty power of the ocean roars
      its challenge.
Sinous rivers flow,
     silently, slowly
freshwater slipping past
     saltine currents.'

'Who said night time had to be lonely?
I had never felt so comforted
By the voices that will never speak'

I'll admit even these seemingly vanilla verses are hard to share.

If you got this far, congratulations! I appreciate it :)

Things I don't want to do today vs. things I want to do today

Pulling into procrastination station.

THINGS I DON'T WANT TO DO TODAY
1. Study
2. Study some more
3. Go to work...mm it's only a 4 hour shift but still!
4. Feel soft and useless...yuck.
5. Write crappy prose/poetry
6. Cook
7. Drive...wish supermarkets had delivery for purchases under $20
8. Look at my bank account
9. Continuously check Facebook. YES I am addicted like the rest of you...don't even try to hide it.
10. Procrastinate

THINGS I WANT TO DO TODAY
1. Find my motivation!! Then I will want to study
2. Eat lots of snickers and lindt chocolate and guylian belgian chocolates...o yea. Unfortunately my bank account does not allow for this kind of thing.
   2b...but I do I have an overdraft...
3. Somehow gain money by not doing anything.
4. Get a small tattoo...I think a little simple kiwi with 'Made in NZ' underneath, just below my armpit. Again my bank account SAYS NO. Bugger you.
5. Write AWESOME poetry and prose.
6. Sit in the rain...I want it to rain
7. Suddenly develop a cold. This means no work which means no money which means no chocolate which means no life! Such sad problems I have
8. Go home and see my cat and giant puppy dog. Meow woof through the interwebs!
9. Eat McDonalds for dinner. But I have vegetables that need eating...eh.
10. CLAIM SOME COURSE RELATED COSTS!!! best idea ever.
11. Read read and read some more.
12. Watch a bunch of movies in a theater.

So these lists aren't really balanced, but hey, I officially managed to waste 15 minutes of time. Sure I'll never get that back, but do I care? No, no I do not.

That's all folks

Google+ and YouTube

Hey good looking, what's cooking?

If you're a fan of YouTube and use it regularly, then you might have noticed the changes that have started to be implemented around the site. This mainly effects the long time users with a channel, and who are frequent commentors (is that a word?) such as myself.

So a few months back, YouTube started asking me if I would like to start using my full name. I refused, and continued to stubbornly refuse every time that silly little window popped up. I like my user name (Spangldee) and prefer to use that and stay anonymous.  Then the option to have background art was removed and replaced with banner art.

All these dumb things piled up for this one change...

YOU MUST HAVE A GOOGLE+ ACCOUNT TO COMMENT!!!

I ignored this for a couple of days until I wanted to comment on something (today). Such a difficult process. I had to create a new channel that uses my full name, and so I thought that all my subs and favourite videos had gone! But alas, they were in my OTHER channel, the Spangldee one (for which my display pic was removed). So if I want to comment, I have to manually switch to the new account, then switch back so I can access all my old likes, faves,subs, etc. 

Just as an aside, I never use my Google+ account, it seems pointless. Google version of Facebook basically. 

A pointless rant, I know, but I (and many others, I'm sure) would be happy if integrating with Google+ was a choice, rather than being mandatory.

A very funny guy (check out his videos! He does really good impressions) called Brock Baker sums it up nicely: 

I'm sure it won't be long before the YouTube logo is Googlefied.
First world problems, right? Excuse me while I go sign some petitions...

TTFN

M.F.S

Some thoughts while tired and trying to write a very long report

This isn't procrastination, I'm practicing my typing skills!

If, in NZ, we are able to sign forms without parental permission and have sex at 16, buy alcohol, buy lottery tickets, and enter bars when we are 18, are able to have a couple then drive and go to casinos at 20, then why, is parental income considered a form of financial support until we turn 24?? Well at least I think it's some crazy age like that.

Society needs a slap in the face. Society does not know how to treat its vulnerable.

LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS

Thermo-meter.

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Big Machine - Goo Goo Dolls
UNI - Ed Sheeran
Drunk - Ed Sheeran
(lonely moments, late nights, sometimes I wish these songs were my life)

Jodi Picoult, stop being such a good author. You're distracting me.

I spend too much money on exotic sweets

Goodnight!

Nah not really. Here is some poetry. Consider yourself lucky

'Wishlist'
Everything I am.                                                                      
I want you to know,
Everything.
Like how sometimes,
I want to crawl under the blankets
And forget the world.

Will you forget the world with me?

(written/a/very long/time/ago)

 I'm still me, right?
   Despite everything, everything, everything.
                                                         

100 Questions no one asks - Thanks Laura!

Hey you,


Kudos to Laura, thought I should do this because I can! :D


1:Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Closed
2:Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Yes, free stuff :)
3:Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Half and half
4:Have you ever stolen a street sign before? um no. My dad has though
5:Do you like to use post-it notes? Yes indeed
6:Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? Yep
7:Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Neither, that's an awful choice.
8:Do you have freckles? Nope
9:Do you always smile for pictures? The majority of the time
10:What is your biggest pet peeve? People who try and tell me what to do
11:Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Nope
12:Have you ever peed in the woods? Yes
13:What about pooped in the woods? No
14:Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing? I certainly do!
15:Do you chew your pens and pencils? Nope
16:How many people have you slept with this week? Big fat zero
17:What size is your bed? Double
18:What is your Song of the week? U.N.I by Ed Sheeran
19:Is it okay for guys to wear pink? If they suit it, then yes
20:Do you still watch cartoons? Of course. The ones from my childhood only
21:Whats your least favorite movie? Ugh, Eragon was pretty crap. Book was awesome though
22:Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? None of your business
23:What do you drink with dinner? Tea sometimes
24:What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Nothing, those things are nasty
25:What is your favorite food? Roast lamb and veges. Or home made chow mein.
26:What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Inception, Hot Rod, Avatar, Contagion, The Little Mermaid, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original), Titanic, Looper.
27:Last person you kissed/kissed you? Like a proper kiss? Some drunk guy in a bar.
28:Were you ever a boy/girl scout? Yes!
29:Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? Hell no
30:When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? Last week, to my best friend in Aus
31:Can you change the oil on a car? Yep!
32:Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Not that I know of :p
33:Ever ran out of gas? No, but I've come pretty close
34:Favorite kind of sandwich? Smoked chicken and salad
35:Best thing to eat for breakfast? Porridge with yoghurt and fruit
36:What is your usual bedtime? 9:30-10pm ish, depending on work
37:Are you lazy? Not really
38:When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? Never did Halloween
39:What is your Chinese astrological sign? The Dog, apparently
40:How many languages can you speak? English, some words in Maori, Japanese and Italian
41:Do you have any magazine subscriptions? No
42:Which are better legos or lincoln logs? Lego!!
43:Are you stubborn? Sometimes I can be, depends on the situation
44:Who is better...Leno or Letterman? Neither
45:Ever watch soap operas? Not really
46:Are you afraid of heights? Nope
47:Do you sing in the car? Yes! who doesn't?
48:Do you sing in the shower? Nah
49:Do you dance in the car? How is that possible?
50:Ever used a gun? Yep
51:Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? Er ages ago? lol maybe like 5 years ago
52:Do you think musicals are cheesy? They're ok. Love Grease!
53:Is Christmas stressful? Nah
54:Ever eat a pierogi? a what? lol
55:Favorite type of fruit pie? Rhubarb & Apple
56:Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Air Hostess, Vet, Lawyer
57:Do you believe in ghosts? Sort of
58:Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? Yeah!
59:Take a vitamin daily? No
60:Wear slippers? Sometimes
61:Wear a bath robe? Yep
62:What do you wear to bed? Pyjamas
63:First concert? Green Day
64:Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? None of the above
65:Nike or Adidas? Neither
66:Cheetos Or Fritos? Doritos!
67:Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Sunflower seeds
68:Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? No
69:Ever take dance lessons? Nope
70:Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? Marine biologist I hope. Or personal trainer, physiotherapist, that kind of thing.
71:Can you curl your tongue? No
72:Ever won a spelling bee?No
73:Have you ever cried because you were so happy? Yep
74:Own any record albums? No
75:Own a record player? No
76:Regularly burn incense? Lol no
77:Ever been in love? I think so
78:Who would you like to see in concert? GOO GOO DOLLS!!!!!!
79:What was the last concert you saw? Ronan Keating
80:Hot tea or cold tea? Hot
81:Tea or coffee? Tea
82:Sugar or snickerdoodles? Aye? I no speak Americano
83:Can you swim well? Yep
84:Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? Who can't
85:Are you patient? No way
86:DJ or band, at a wedding? Band
87:Ever won a contest? Not that I can recall
88:Ever have plastic surgery? Nah
89:Which are better black or green olives? Black ftw
90:Can you knit or crochet? Knit...sort of
.91:Best room for a fireplace? Lounge
92:Do you want to get married? Yes
93:If married, how long have you been married? Not married!
94:Who was your HS crush? Meh there were a couple of guys. Choices were limited haha
95:Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? No, I'm not retarded
96:Do you have kids? Nah
97:Do you want kids? Yes
98:Whats your favorite color? Turquoise boarding on light green
99:Do you miss anyone right now? Yes! Roxanne
BONUS JONAS QUESTION: Something that happened to you in middle school? Lots of things happened lol.


There we have it! :)

TTFN

M.F.S

To the lucky few who stumble across this blog

Hey there!

I'm a 19 year old Marine Studies student, who's currently struggling through an environmental legislation paper.

Boring.

Thought I'd share some of my top procrastinating 'techniques' (it's an art!)

1. Creating a new blog (lol)
2. Reading... I call this constructive procrastination
3. Inventing or learning new hair styles, then getting annoyed and putting my hair in a boring ponytail
4. Writing poetry/random bits of fiction...also constructive procrastination
5. FACEBOOK. This has sub categories
                           a) Stalking
                           b) More stalking
                           c) Getting annoyed at instagram photos and hashtags....are they really necessary?!
6.Cleaning my room/making my bed
7.EATING
8. Practicing makeup techniques. At the moment I'm struggling with eyeliner...I have long eyelashes that get in the way :/
9. YOUTUBE. This also has sub categories:
                         a) Watching music videos of artists I hate so I can snigger at them e.g Miley Cyrus.
                         b) Watching cutegirlshairstyles vids. Refer to 3.
                         c) Random video surfing

So yeah, that's about it! I guess the purpose of this blog is that there is no purpose; I'll be reviewing books, movies, lollies, chocolate, music releases, also there will be some rants about odd topics...so yeah.

Maybe I can even teach the world wide web about environmental legislation! :o
Nah, I'm not that mean :p

TTFN,
M.F.S