Urban Perk #4: Ryoji Ikeda's "Spectra"

Afternoon Everyone,

First of all I would just like to say that the

winner of the Pixies' Doolittle poster is:

ALEX CABRE

Thank you to everyone else who entered, there are some

more competitions on the way!

Secondly I would like to talk about something I found

yesterday...

So my Dad and I were leaving the cinema

after seeing Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (which

I highly recommend!) when we saw a beam of light

shining up from the ground and onto the low clouds.

We decided to find out what it was and so we spent

the next 20 minutes or so tracking it down in our

clunky old VW. 

At first we thought it was coming from the Imperial

War Museum because as many of you know, yesterday was the

centenary of the First World War.

But driving towards the light we worked out that it was

in the wrong part of London. When we got closer we saw that

this was not one small light, but about 50 of them

beaming towards the heavens.

Upon entering (for free) the Victoria Tower 

Gardens you see these beautiful lights shining bright

and with purpose. On closer inspection people are walking in

and out the columns of light or lying on the floor and 

gazing up at the spectacular sight. A stunning atmosphere 

is created through an ambient soundtrack that swirls from the speakers and into your mind.

Inspired by the declaration "the lamps are going out all over Europe, 

we shall not see them lit again in our life-time",

said by Sir Edward Grey*, spectra is a stunning piece 

of art that unites the people across London and reminds

them of the hardships and sacrifices of the 

First World War.

spectra can be seen from 12 miles away (on a clear day).

The exhibition is on from dusk till dawn 

and will permanently fade out in the early hours of

 Monday 11th August.

Lest we forget,

Poppy x

*Sir Edward Grey was the Foreign Secretary during the 

outbreak of WWI

Win a Pixies Screen Print!

Hey Everyone,

So, I was recently given a screen print of 

The Pixies' Doolittle album and thought that I 

would make a competition out of it! 

I have created the competition through 'Rafflecopter'
so there's no spam or dodgy stuff (:

Here is a picture of the poster:

The background is an olive-blue colour and

has been printed with matte gold paint.

A brilliant poster that will look good in any office or

home - if you don't like it your parents might? 

About Doolittle

Doolittle was The Pixies' second album and was released in

1989 on 4AD. It went on to chart at #8 in the UK album 

charts and received brilliant reviews from 

critics and magazines. 'Debaser', 'Here Comes Your

Man' and 'Mokey Gone to Heaven' were all released as singles-

 it was The Pixies' first album that had a major impact 

on the charts and the music industry. 

The competition will start at 6pm tomorrow so if you'd 

like to enter follow this link to my facebook page 

where you can enter:

Click here to enter!

Good Luck,

Poppy x

My Top 5 Books to Read for All Ages

Hi there, 

In the spirit of World Book Day I thought that I would 

give you a list of my top 5 books to read

this weekend, which is what I usually do if

I have some extra time.

The books I have chosen are suitable from 

13-100+ (although it is a matter of being 

interested in the topic of the book)

Let us begin.....

1.The Book Thief

This book is absolutely

amazing! It is narrated by death and although this 

may sound very daunting it is as light as

a marshmallow! Death follows a girl called Liesel

who lives in Germany at the brink of WWII, who 

is obsessed with books. A beautifully written book

that you'll never forget. On the plus side, the film 

has just been released! 

2.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

At first, I struggled to connect with this book,

I felt that it wasn't headed anywhere and I didn't

like it very much. But then the plot became clear 

and the message too! Harold Fry is a retired man

who becomes bored with his routine, so when he 

receives a letter from an old friend he sees it as an

opportunity to do something new (and maybe even slightly

heroic!).

3.Paper Towns

Another quoted-filled and quirky story from best 

seller John Green. Everyone may be reading 

The Fault In Our Stars but this is well-worth

the read. Q is a high school student on the verge of 

graduating and after a night of fun-filled pranks

with his next door neighbour (Margo), he finds himself

searching for clues to her disappearance. But the

Margo he is searching for is not the one 

he expected. 

4. On The Road

A story of two men who travel across America

in search of knowledge and experience. Together

they experience the ups and downs of life and

freedom. The wonderful passages show Kerouac's 

love and passion for America. If you want a taste of 

freedom and self understanding, then this is one for you.

5. Birdsong

It 1910 and Stephen Wraysford has arrived in Amiens to 

stay with the extravagant Azaire family. Unexpectedly he falls for Isabelle, the unhappily married wife of Mr. Azaire but

WWI arises and causes their relationship to end. 

The story follows their separate lives throughout and after

the war. But will they ever find each other? 

I hope you find one to your liking! 

Love,

Poppy Valentine x

New Look Mini-Spree

Afternoon Everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long I have

been so busy with homework and I haven't had 
my laptop to post from! 

I wanted to post a video of a tour of my room
but the format isn't compatible with blogger,
so I won't be able to! :(

However, I did just go on a mini-spree and
bought a series of items I'm very happy with!
(All from New Look) 

 

White Boxy Shirt £14.99

Black Gingham Skirt £9.99

Round Frame Sunglasses £4.99

Black Tie Dye crop top £12.99

Star Product: 

Blush Rose Garland £3.99

I love the Rose Garland because it's so easy to wear 

yet it looks effortlessly hippie-like. You

can buy them in a variation of styles, colours and sizes

so they're perfect for everyone and every outfit. 

I would encourage you to purchase one if you're hitting 

the festivals this spring/summer! ;)

Have a lazy Sunday! 

Poppy Valentine x

Redecorating (again!)

Hey Everyone, 

Just wanted to show you some pictures of my room.

I was redecorating yesterday (my version of therapy)

by adding some pictures and rearranging my stuff.

I bought some lovely mini prayer flags and stuck them

between to adjacent walls to create a cosy little atmosphere

in the corner where my desk is.

I also stuck some 7" vinyl in a 3x3 group on the

wall to add some colour and texture - it looks so cool!

Finally, the quote I created from pages of Q music

magazine. The quote is from a song that I posted 

on my blog a few days ago ("Don't ask me Why"

by Great Caesar). 

If you have any cool ideas or pictures of your

DIY decorating - feel free to comment below :)

Have a happy thursday,

Poppy Valentine xx

The Liebster Award

Hello All!

I am very happy to tell you that I have 

been nominated for the Liebster award by Emm,

for a link to her blog click here.

Here are Emm's questions:

Q)5 Words that define you?

A)Bubbly, Smiley, Weird, creative, Sarcastic(!) 

Q)Why did you start blogging?

A)I started blogging because at the time I was in love

with fashion and I was looking for a new hobby and then

I found it......Blogging.

Q)What is your favourite type of post (to read and write)?

A)I love posts about music that have loads of 

videos or posts with cool cartoons! I like reading 

tutorial posts for hair and creative projects. 

Q)Has blogging changed you? How has blogging influenced you? 

A)Blogging has definitely made me grow up

quite a bit, I've found the type of fashion and music I like. When I started as a Blogger I knew nothing about 

myself but blogging has helped me to find my 

creative side! 

Q)What do you think of your blog, and is there anything 

you would like to change from it? 

A)I'm really comfortable with my new clean look and it looks 

more professional and modern than before. Although I would 

like to have more of my own picture edits and to gain

some more followers/readers.

Q)Your style icon?

A) I love Twiggy's make up and hair but if we're

talking about clothes then I would have to say Emma Roberts.

Her fashion is effortless and really simple-and her 

new haircut is super cool! 

Q)Do you watch YouTube-What do you go to YouTube for?

A) I use YouTube for music. That's all; searching

up new artists, sourcing ideas from music videos and 

keeping up with new songs from artists I love.

Q) Your current favourite song? When you listen to it

do you listen to the music, or the lyrics?

A) My favourite song at the moment is Youth by Daughter.

I usually listen to the lyrics (they tell stories!).

Q)Last movie you watched and how was it? 

A) I watched this weird but wonderful film called The Royal Tenenbaums (a Wes Anderson film), it has really cool style and music - I thought the film was great!! 

Q) Best kind of cake, ever!

A) ANGEL CAKE!! It is amaaazing - you HAVE to try it!!

Q) LAstly, what do you think of Valentine's Day?

A) A bit cheesy, slightly cute but a bit of a rip - off?!

(That took a while!) 

Now here are my nominees: 
Runs With Scissors
Style and Beauty
Soph's Blog
Glow Getter
Live*London*Love
That Delete Button
Fashionaholic
The Simple Life of Fashion
My Life Box
"You get the Picture"
Beat of the Beauty

So, there you have it my 11 nominees! If you are one of the nominees then here are the rules: 

1. Link the blog that nominated you for the award
2. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate who have less than 200 followers
3. Answer the 11 questions (below) given to you
4. Let the people you have nominated know that you have done so 
5. You can't nominate the person that nominated you
6. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate to answer

Here are your questions:

• What is your favourite song at the moment, and why?
• Paste a picture of your favourite photo? 
• What would be your ideal Friday night in e.g. a sleepover, a movie, etc.
• If you could go anywhere in the world on Holiday this summer where would you go, and why?  
• What is the wildest thing you have ever done?
• What achievement are you most proud of?
• What is your favourite thing to blog about? 
• What is your favourite childhood memory? 
• What book are you reading at the moment, do you like it? 
• Name your favourite food.
• If home is where the heart is, then where does your heart lie? 

Okay, so there's your challenge! Hopefully it won't take you too long. 

Have a lovely evening and feel free to follow - I need

to get the amount to at least a 10! 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

Poppy Valentine x

Summer is here!

Hi Peeps, 

Wow, some serious blog neglect has gone down 

but I promise to make it 

up to you! 

So much has happened to me since my last post, I've spoken

 to a blogging  legend; Ophelia Horton,  been to New York AND had a  rather big shopping spree. I've been on 

a bit of a lucky streak at the moment 

but it's due to run out 

anytime soon! 

My latest obsession is with White. Anything white will put a smile on my face, although people say it's not a very 

flattering colour I think you'd be surprised! 

One of my latest purchases was a white lace dress 

from Forever 21 - which is absolutely fantastic! 

I would recommend Forever 21 to anyone who is

looking for quality clothing at a purse - nursing price. 

So go on - dare yourself! 

Here are some photos taken by Desire Ageymang: 

Summer is the perfect time for fashion, the days look fabulous and so should you! So why not try something new? A bright red maxi skirt or a pretty little peplum top?! 

You'd be surprised at what you find! 

On to Cosmetics.....

I recently bought some new cosmetics which are perfect for a quick refresh in the summer heat, try Batiste for a quick hair wash and Barry M nail varnish in Lemon

 Ice Cream to awaken any outfit! 

Well, I hope you get some inspiration! 

We'll speak soon! 

Poppy Valentine x

Hia!

My FIRST post! 

I'm looking forward to seeing what people think of my fashion, going to the Southbank, London this weekend! 

See ya then! 

Poppy Valentine x