Hello there! Welcome to my new series, #ofnote. I’m excited! I love a shiny new project.
Simply put, #ofnote is a compilation of things I find that I think are noteworthy. Something conspicuous, memorable, inspiring or interesting enough to share. We all have our interests, and everyone likes stuff. The environment and upbringing of every individual results in a variety of different personality types; and the interests of each individual – likes, dislikes and morals; are an extension of oneself. We wouldn’t be who we are without our vast and varied interests. They are what make us us – and make all aspects of life and conversation very interesting.
This blog is an extension of my personality, edited and curated by me. A space for me to write and be who I am online. I guess this series could be likened to favourites, a theme that is ubiquitous when it comes to blogs. Favourites posts are something I’ve done myself in the past (both here and on YouTube) but it didn’t seem to gel with me, and favourites were covered sporadically. While there’s nothing wrong with featuring regular favourites (and I admire a lot of bloggers who do, and do it well, consistently) my #ofnote series won’t have a specific timeframe for posting. It may not be each week, or even each month.
Sometimes #ofnote may be long, sometimes short; depending on what I feel is worth writing about. So I’ll post when the mood strikes, and when I’ve discovered a lot of interesting stuff! I feel it will be more genuine and organic that way. I will also be featuring some guest contributors, and the series will appear here and occasionally on my YouTube channel. So welcome to the first instalment, I hope you discover something of note.
‘Goodbye to All That’ by Joan Didion
Joan Didion’s autobiographical essay is a very enjoyable read. I’ve read it a few times over the last couple of years, most recently just before Halloween this year. It’s one of those pieces you can read at different points in your life and can take something new from it each time.
‘Goodbye to All That’ is about Joan’s time in New York, her mixed feelings about leaving (she lived there for 8 years) and how she was always optimistic during her years there – but in the end didn’t really identify New York city as her home anymore.
I just really like the style and pacing of how Didion writes. How she shares her idealistic yet naive view of the city when she first arrived in her early 20s, with a completely romanticised view of the place and how you should live there; yet for many it’s not reality. This is something she has to learn, and so, she became jaded. I was reminded of this piece again when I came across an article recently saying it’s going to be adapted into a film. As with many of Didion’s essays, Goodbye to All That can be read online. In PDF form. For freeeee!
Society6
Society 6 probably isn’t new to many of you, especially American readers (hi guys!) I found Society6 quite recently, in search for unique iPhone covers for a friend and I – we both recently got an iPhone 6s each. Such a beautiful and slick phone needs an awesome (and protective) cover and on my search to find one, I ended up on this glorious site.
Society6 is what seems like a never-ending collection of excellent artwork by incredibly talented people that you can buy in various forms – art prints, those prints on clothing, throws, pillows, bags, duvet covers, laptop skins and of course, iPhone covers. Since you can submit your work from anywhere in the world, the designs and options are limitless, and so is the talent. Every sale pays an artist too.
Our only problem was we spent more hours than we would care to admit choosing the perfect cover – where else would you find an illustration of Batman on a dinosaur’s back (!!) a unicorn wearing a jetpack or anything Wes Anderson as an iPhone cover? You can also order covers in three different types, depending on your desired durability/how accident-prone you are. It’s a genius website and my new go-to for future gifts.
Yasuko Kawamura Facial Massage
Do you want to do something nice for your face and to your face? OF COURSE YOU DO!
Then you might find this useful, particularly now, if you feel you feel like a puffer fish as a result of all the extra rich foods and alcohol around. Or do it for no other reason than it feels great, thus adding to your overall sense of wellbeing!
Beauty blogger Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup posted about facial massages at the beginning of October. In fact, plenty of bloggers did around that time so recommendations were coming from all over the place, so I wanted to give it a try. I liked Anna’s post the best, and tried the massage she suggested by Yasuko Kawamura. This facial massage feels great. I do it every morning when moisturising, after cleansing and all the other bits. The massage is meant to keep the skin youthful, by lifting the skin and draining impurities through lymphatic draining. I have added it to my daily routine as it feels great, keeps skin smooth and if you have a cold, seems to really help the sinuses. Give it a try sure!
Spotify Favourites
I love Spotify. Who doesn’t? I find myself going down the proverbial Spotify rabbit hole quite often, discovering plenty of new music I very much enjoy. I use it daily, have plenty of playlists (including an incredibly cheesy one for the gym that anyone would judge me for; heck, I judge me for) and there’s so much going on there to suit your mood. A few weeks ago it accommodated my N.W.A. phase, and last week it had plenty of Southern Gothic Americana tracks (it really is a good genre, I promise!) to keep me going. Although I listen to plenty of playlists, lately I have some favourites I keep coming back to, which in my opinion make for wonderful listening. (Spotify username: emmahr88)
- Beach House, Gila – I love anything Beach House but this song reminds me so many memories of places and people so I’ve been revisiting it lately.
- Desert Session 9 & 10 – I Wanna Make it Wit Chu – Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanegan, PJ Harvey…I don’t think I need to say anything else.
- Katie Kim, Radio – An Irish artist I completely forgot about, and a blast from the past. Loads of her songs are good and make for easy listening.
- Daughter, Youth – One of my favourite bands, Elena Tonra’s voice is wonderful.
- NoMBe, California Girls – Dunno why I love it, but I do! It gets stuck in my head all too often.
- Sharon Van Etten, Give Out – Another great and wonderful voice.
- Sylvan Esso – Anything by these guys! They’re also the best gig I’ve been to in the history of ever.
Eclectic Eccentricity
The name of the brand really suits the jewellery they sell. I found this company on Instagram and they make really unique and interesting jewellery, unlike any brand I’ve ever seen! Necklaces feature the solar system (as well as individual planet charms) constellations, space shuttles, astronauts and all sorts of gem stones including druzy, which are really beautiful stones. My favourites on the website are 50 year pocket calendar necklace, the lava rock necklace complete with brass dinosaur charm, and rings of saturn necklace.
Camera +
When it comes to apps, Snapseed is my ultimate fave. It makes photos so god damn dreamy. I wax lyrical about it, and mentioned it here back in June.
I. LOVE. IT.
Snapseed is my forever favourite but I am interested in photo editing apps and anything extra features for the camera on my new shiny phone. My most recent purchase which I love is Camera + (€2.99) It gives you a helping hand when shooting, with the ability to set exposure and focus independently, both of which you can lock. Other handy features include a stabiliser, macro setting, timer and burst shot option. The app is updated frequently so tools and functions are improved regularly (filters included) and photos can be edited with Camera + in their Lightbox feature, which I may give more attention to if I ever tire of Snapseed. Which will be never. Realistically.
While we’re on the subject of phones and cameras and apps, here are some of my favourite Instagram accounts at the moment:
1. Acestyles – A fresh perspective on New York city.
2. Hirozzzz – Amazing photography from Hiroaki’s travels around the world.
3. Rachel Ryle – Really cool illustrations and animations.
4. Breakfast Symmetry – Pretty pictures of food which appeal to my OCD side.
5. I Have This Thing With Floors – Nice floors. From all over the place. Not much to it but it’s consistent and pleasant.
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