I hadn't known they'd covered it. Even though I'm sure that I like the original version better, I think this is not bad at all. Made me think of the time in my late teens when I was crazy for the music of Grease (and I loved the film, too). It's been too long since I've watched it! I remember summer holidays at Tenerife with the girls where we always started our nights at this karaoke bar (us being the only Germans in a crowd of Brits), and this song was one of the regulars, among others from the musical... Ah, the good ol' days!
...I'm longingly waiting for you! Spring would be fine for a start, too ;)
Instead here I am, sitting on my sofa with a nice cup of tea to warm my hands and watching the drizzling rain fall on a grey day. When could there be a better moment to dream of the sun and a warm breeze and the salty smell of the sea...
When it comes to summer holidays my favourite destination would be Greece. (Of course, last year's trip to London wasn't quite bad - I lovelovelove London! - but it's just not the typical summer holiday...) I went there for some years in a row, once to Thasos and twice to the even lovelier island of Crete (to the small town of Paleochora in the southwest which I can only recommend to everyone who loves a day at the beach and a vibrant place to go out in the evening without being too mainstream). The people there are very hospitable and so friendly, the food is perfect and did I mention the beautiful nature? When we went there we spent some lazy days on the beach, but I cannot do that every day, so we also did some hiking in the gorges - you can't imagine the smell of all the herbs growing there. It's like aroma therapy for free ;)
In this picture I am particularly happy because after our hiking tour, the only way to get home was by boat, and before I had always been terribly seasick on everything boatlike. From my smile you can see that this time it worked out - in fact, I haven't been seasick since, so you could call it a life-changing moment caught in a photo ;)
I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford another holiday this summer for I'll be leaving for Australia in a month - four weeks down under, that's not so bad either! I'm responsible for our exchange programme this year, and I'll be going with 14 pupils and a dear colleague. I'm so excited, even if it still feels a little unreal...
It's my granny's birthday today. She's 85. However, there was no party for it's Monday and everybody has to work, but she probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. She has dementia and lives in an old people's home. Even though she can't tell where and when she is, she still remembers people (although she usually forgets everybody's jobs and age and other insignificant information) even if she hasn't seen them for a long time. She has just returned from the hospital and all in all she's not well. I feel bad for not having visited her, but I will definitely go there next weekend.
This is her aged 16 approximately. She spent her teens in WW II and it had a deep effect on her. She used to talk about it a lot. Quite as much as she talked about fashion. She was totally obsessed and being short of money in and after the war, she had to sew / knit everything herself. When I was a child her stories about details in one or other piece of clothing that had long been given away for charity purposes bored me a little, but now I understand what a passion she had for her little hobby. She came from a very simple background and always put a lot of thought in her looks - she was very proud that in her youth she was sometimes 'mistaken' for princess / queen Elizabeth II of England. There might have been a slight resemblance ;)
Of course, she also had unpleasant sides (who hasn't?), but today not much of her is left. She forgets you visited her as soon as you leave the room. It makes me think about the benefits of living a long life and about how I can bring her a few moments of happiness.
Since I've taken the resolution not to shop for a long time, my fingers are itching whenever they hover above the keyboard when I'm browsing my favourite online shops. It's all just a click away... I wonder how long I will remain strong - I've got my doubts ;) I must admit I sneaked a pair of sunglasses home yesterday (I couldn't resist, but they were very cheap... oh, I'm just trying to ease my conscience) and a lace collar. I was afraid that it would be sold out when I would go shopping again in April (which seems ages away...).
By the way, I totally adore dolly bows / headbands! When I was in London last summer everybody wore them, and at first I was a little confused about the looks. But now I wish I dared to wear them more! At least they're selling them in Germany now, too, so that I can get my hands on them and admire them in front of my mirror at home :)
Such a grey day today! The only good thing is that I haven't got too much work to do, so I'll just have some tea and wait for something exciting to happen ;)
After a long time, I finally went out this weekend again. And what a good time I had!
My friend and I went to the tiny club that we had discovered in January. The good thing about it is that the people there aren't students in their first year but people our age with a slightly more sophisticated taste in music than you usually find in people in their late teens / early twenties. I don't want to sound prejudiced, but as a teacher in the 6th form I know what I'm talking about.
This time we went there for a rockabilly evening. I like music of the 50s and 60s, and I dare say my style is influenced by this fondness for it (though probably rather mod than rockabilly), but it'd go way too far to say that I'm part of the rockabilly world. In fact, I found myself in the middle of it the second I entered the club! How lovely everyone looked! Everybody had taken so much care in dressing, and I felt like I had been beamed right into the past! I was glad I had thought of putting on lipstick and some heavy eyeliner, but I cursed myself for not being brave enough to 'dress up' a little bit more, what with all those beautiful ladies around in their pencil skirts or petticoats and with their immaculate hairstyles... Wow!
By the way, the picture above just shows the more casual style. The men were very stylish, too, and boy, could they all dance! I wish I had taken more dancing lessons when I was a teenager!
The dancing was once in a while interrupted by burlesque acts (by those lovely ladies). I've never seen anything burlesque before (apart from pictures of Dita von Teese sitting in a giant glass of champagne), but I must admit that it was quite entertaining.
This evening has inspired me a great deal and in the meantime I spent some moments (o.k., this might be an understatement) searching the internet for those pretty clothes I saw at the club, and I've got some favourites:
I like the last dress with the Peter Pan collar best, but I'm also quite a fan of those sailor inspired dresses.
The evening had me grab my Elvis Presley cds and play them non-stop on my way to work today. It was high time, I hadn't listened to his music for a long time...
I already said that I liked romantic comedies best when it comes to films, but that's only half the truth. I'm also inspired by films that have their very own style, be it fashion- or photographywise... A good soundtrack can sometimes win me over, too. I may not have the most eclectic taste in films but even if it's mainstream, I don't care. One can't be unique in every field of life ;)
Two of my favourite films feature an Audrey as their protagonist. On the one hand, there's the ever-adorable Audrey Hepburn. She's so delicate and pretty! Breakfast at Tiffany is one of the best films ever, with Holly Golightly being torn between her need for freedom and the longing for a save haven.
I'm not quite sure, but I think the next picture is a still from How to steal a million, another film I have watched lots of times since I was a child (and in which Peter O'Toole sports the bluest eyes ever! I always have the slightest crush on him when watching this film) . I also like her in My Fair Lady. It's obvious that I'm quite into old films.
Besides her obvious beauty I like this particular French quality about her, I think it's the way her lips move when she speaks. Oh, I just remembered, of course I've also seen her in The Da Vinci Code, but I didn't like that one too much even though I read the book in about two days (just couldn't put it down).
Those two Audreys represent - at least visually - my ideal of a woman. I wish I was a darker type (with a little more delicateness that is), but that just wouldn't be me.
Thank god it's the weekend now. With the rain outside and almost nothing to work on today, I'll just cuddle up on my sofa and read. Haven't done that for too long!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have such wonderful weather like we had today - lots of sun and the sensation of spring waiting just around the corner!
I'm a bad girl - I went shopping again today... All I needed was a black sweat blazer, but what I got was far more: a green belt, a blouse and a T-shirt (both dotted and with a peter pan collar ♥), some tights and some hair clips from H&M's children's department with a pink and red pattern. Resolution for the rest of February and March: WILL NOT BUY ANY NEW CLOTHES!
I had the most wonderful weekend! As a present for her 30th birthday, my brother and I got my sister a trip to Holland where we went to see "Mary Poppins" (the musical). The theatre is in a town by the sea, so we were also looking forward to having a stroll on the beach. However, when we arrived there the wind was so strong (it had almost blown us off the motorway already) that strolling isn't the right choice of words. It was more like working your way to the water without losing your hat.
We got sand into our mouths whenever we said something and I even discovered sand between my toes afterwards even though I was wearing socks (obviously, as it was only 5°C) and trekking shoes... Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun! Afterwards we had Dutch "frieten" - yummie - before we had to get ready for the show. Our hotel was just across the street from the musical theatre which was just fine.
The show was great, and I loved the costumes! The songs are classics and quite catchy, with some additions to the film version from 1964 (which, by the way, is also one of my favourites from the good ol' times).
I'm still occasionally humming along... We had our own little after show party in our room, with lots of Dutch sweets (just like children on a school trip :) and some beer. I enjoyed spending some time with my brother and sister who I see too rarely. Such a lovely weekend!
