Then I got high..

High Society Exhibition at The Welcome Collection

Last payday now feels like it was Before Christ rather than just Before Christmas so in search of all things free and fun I took myself off to the High Society exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, which examines mind and mood altering substances.

I was intrigued to see who else would be there, imagining a posse of ageing hippies wandering around giving a real life example of the effects of long term drug use but the crowd was very mixed, although I did hear the tale ends of lots of people’s own stories of getting messy.

For Mike Jay, co curator, the aim was to create an objective space for people to explore the subject. He explains

“We’re not saying hey kids drugs are good, so ultimately we don’t need to say hey kids drugs are bad. Since that’s basically the entire popular discourse on drugs it seems nice to get rid of both of them and take the subject on its own merit.”

And in my opinion he has definitely succeeded in this.

Given its location within a medical museum I anticipated the exhibition being very factual and focused on the physical impact of drugs on the body but it actually goes far beyond that, looking at the history of drug taking, the way drugs are used within different cultures and the way that drugs have influenced the arts. The manuscript of Coleridge’s Kubla Kahn (supposedly written after he awoke from an opium dream) has its place alongside medical journals and prohibition posters.

My one criticism would be that it seems to have omitted recent history, stopping in the 90s. There is no mention of methadrone or any of the new legal highs which have sprung up to replace it, despite the vast amounts of press that they have received nor is there any discussion around the current drugs policy in the UK or how successful it is.

Weirdly my favourite exhibit was a diagram showing the webs produced by spiders fed different substances. The one fed caffeine was all over the place and by far the worst. I’ll think I’ll be switching to decaf this week…

If you want to check it out for yourself the exhibition runs until 27th Feb 2011

The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE

Guilt Free Shopping…..

If December is the month of indulgence then January is most definitely the month of guilt.

Everywhere you look there are reminders of the greedy times we have had – bin bags are full to bursting, disheveled Christmas trees are unceremoniously cast out onto the streets.

So I got thinking – how can we still satisfy our love for shopping whilst also doing something for the environment? Well I did a bit of surfing on the old internet and found that actually it is surprisingly easy – here are my top tips for eco friendly shopping!

I stumbled across this lovely shop whilst perusing the delights of Broadway Market on Saturday – Barley Massey, at Fabrications has been upcycling local waste into functional and desirable objects for over 10 years, my favourite has to be the silk and tie cushion.

If you want to be a bit more adventurous and were inspired by my recent knitting blog you could even buy the ‘knit your own phone case‘!

Next is a recycled, retro perfect present for a beloved boyfriend/brother/dad – Recycled Lego Cufflinks….. Yes I know – amazing!

They come in blue, green and red and will quickly jazz up a boring suit!

And finally I stumbled upon this amazing website, Ethical Emi – eco friendly emi works some magic on jewellery that would otherwise be sent to a landfill site and upcycles it into some glamorous bling and you can buy it doubley guilt free – you are a) doing your bit for the environment and b) look at the prices – your bank account wont even notice the few pounds leaving!!! My 3 favourite pieces are:

Emi♥ 80’s inspired neon pink earrings with crystal detailing £5.00
Emi♥ Simple heart shaped earrings £2.50
Emi♥ Silver recycled wrap leaf ring £3.50

Pay day is fast approaching so go ahead, Enjoy some guilt free shopping! xx

Culture Vulture

Aha I am feeling very smug and cultured today!

Gone is the girl of 2010 that spent all her time in clubs and bars. Welcoming the new and improved version (at least until my January detox finishes) who goes to ballet on Tuesday evening after work.

Sorry actually, The Ballet. Much as the idea of doing pointe work and wearing a tutu does appeal to me – and I have had many fantasies today that I am in fact a prima ballerina – I can safely say that elegance is not an adjective I have ever heard in conjunction with my name, nor do I ever expect to. And I definitely do not have the thighs to wear white tights; that will be 60 denier black opaques for me please.

But I was jammy enough to get given tickets to the working rehearsal of Romeo and Juliette by the English National Ballet, having never been before I was super keen. I soon found out that a working rehearsal means every now and again someone from the side of the stage will shout directions and more bizarrely Romeo was the only one in costume.

Conclusion; Dancer’s fashion is pretty out there. I have to admit I spent the first part mesmerized by Juliette’s stripy leggings and couldn’t help thinking that if Shakespeare’s heroine had been sporting this little number the whole story could have been radically different

Juliette: “Romeo Romeo where for art thou Romeo?”
Romeo: “Err I’ve been thinking, we should cool things off a bit. It’s not you it’s….your leg wear.”

But the dancing was incredible and from the point after the first interval they could have been dancing naked and I wouldn’t have noticed, (maybe a quick peek at the third male dancer who was really quite hot, but only momentarily) I was completely transfixed.

 

I so will be a ballerina...

 

Thank you English National Ballet for an amazing evening. I’m converted. And I brought some leg warmers from American Apparel today as a token of my affection. K xx

 

The Object of my desire…

On the way to work this morning I was staring idly around the bus thinking about job applications and what to buy for breakfast when I caught sight of the love of my life…not a man (I find the 59 to waterloo is not fruitful pulling territory on the whole) but rather the boots of my dreams.

TerraPlana – Janis

Mid calf, block heel, tan leather with a woven panel that looked kind of South American. I gazed in awe for some time before I realised the inherent danger of the situation; the boot wearer was shuffling her bags in a next stop manner. I couldn’t let these darlings go so easily so I shot down the bus, defying all TFL etiquette to ask where they were from.

Result.

Not a tobacco chewing gaucho in Argentina, but a shop in London. A bit of Googling later and I find out they are beautiful on the inside too. Certified vegan, each pair are unique and ethically produced. It’s like finding out the fit guy in the office does charity work.  K x