BOOKS THAT I LOVE.

Anyone that knows me would know that I am someone that loves to read. A novel to me is just more than paper and words but rather a story spun that lets my imagination be a part of it. 

There are a lot of novels I've read over the years and honestly can't see myself stopping any time soon. It's taught me to enjoy my own company, opened me up to information that I would never had known or bothered to look up myself, teach me more about myself than most of the people I know and takes me to places I most wish to go - inside my mind. 

I found it hard narrowing it down but after mulling it over, my favourite five fictional books are (in no particular order);

I read the first book when I was 7 years old and to say I was a little bit of a fan... may or may not be an understatement! Growing up reading these books was probably one of the most influential things that helped shaped me today and set up my love affair with reading. 

Each reader has a different attraction to the book and reasons for loving it, but its funny how the outcome is all the same, with most people voicing that it helped them through tough times or influenced them and help shape them. 

There isn't a year that goes by that I don't read one of the series. It holds such a special place in my heart and I honestly admire J.K Rowling for her persistence to get this published, even after getting knocked back so many     times as growing up without just wouldn't have been the same.

There aren't too many novels from school that I particularly liked let a lone love. Having to read them and then analyse the heck out of them, pin-point the flaws in characters, try and ponder the intentions behind certain paragraphs, or why the author would write it in a particularly style is usually guaranteed that I will shelf the novel permanently but for some reason it never happened with Lord Of the Flies.

I have such a deep appreciation for this novel, it's so intricately written. The book is incredibly deep, and if you do read it I suggest you do it carefully. It's the kind of book that needs attention, not one that can be skipped over when too lazy to read particular parts of paragraphs. 

It's much more about the symbolic whole than the actual evens occurring in the story (which is a bit back to front for a book but definitely makes it stand out for this reason). The island is
a microcosm for society itself, and the conflict acts as an exploration of human nature (i.e. what happens when societies inhibitions are removed)

There is not one thing that I do not love about this novel. I have read it every summer for the last eight years and as I get older, I walk away with a different interpretation and even more of an appreciation for the way it's written.

The way Harper Lee structures this novel, incorporating her childhood memories and the Scottsboro trials and being narrated through the eyes of Scout is nothing short of phenomenal.  It's what sparked my curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the segregation of the blacks and whites in the South of America. 

Besides racism, it deals with the central character (Scout Finch), and one of her biggest concerns about coming of age and the expectations her society has for women. Women in the South during the 30's were pressured to conform to a widely held ideal  of "Southern Womanhood". They were treated as delicate, fragile creatures and had to act in accordance with this treatment. A good deal of the novel focuses on how Scout is anything but delicate and fragile and her attempts to fit into a world that expects so much of her.

"Stay Gold, Ponyboy" is a quote that is often said by readers. It's a quote that I love too and is based on a poem that I adore by Robert Frost. This novel taught me about empathy, not to say that others hadn't and in someways they did touch upon it but this one in particular taught me a lot about myself than those people around me could.

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY 

Nature's first green is gold, 

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf's a flower; 

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf. 

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay. 

In the novel, often to kill time, Ponyboy would read books or poetry out loud to his friend Johnny. It's a particular letter that he reads from Johnny that evolves around the novel. Johnny always knew that Ponyboy was intellectual, and pushed him to make more of himself than his environment and upbringing would probably allow him to. It's in that particular letter that Johnny writes how he finally understands what the poem means, and tells Ponyboy to "stay gold".

Last but not least is The Book Thief. I only just recently read this over the summer just gone thanks to a recommendation from a good friend. 

It had me hooked on the first paragraph and could not put it down! This novel, I found, hands down has one of the most intriguingly constructed paragraphs that I've ever read.  It left me filled with such a rush of different emotions when it ended, and there are very few books that can do that.  The first few days after reading it, I didn't quiet know what to do with myself!!

There isn't much I can say about it without wanting to go through each plot bit by bit and describe my love for the characters but if there is a book I had to recommend, it is most definitely this one.












Loz
xx

ALL THINGS ORGANISATION.

I, myself find that I am one of two extremes; either extremely organised or procrastinate like nobodies business. There really is no in-between but thankfully I tend to lean towards more of the being extremely organised end of the stick! 

Organisation is all about keeping track of your time; prioritising your commitments (whether that be homework for school, uni essays or projects, work etc) and then finding ways to balance that with every day life activities such as socialising with friends, dinners, exercise, parties and so on.

The key word here is balance; too much of one thing and everything else tends to fall of the beaten track.

I was asked via my tumblr how do I remain organised and seeing as the next five weeks of uni are going to be pretty much hell, I thought I would make a post about how I went about prioritising my time! Below is one of the  of the tables, in this case week 4,  that I drew up for myself to follow over the next five week period. (there are 4 others but up loading  on a shit scanner was frustrating me too much!)







Each person is obviously going to be different. I never schedule in weekend times, personal preference of mine as each weekend is always unpredictable so schedule week to week accordingly for weekends.

Your times for commitments will be scheduled differently, when you can or want to do homework/study will be at different times (some people find it more beneficial to wake up early in the morning and do homework and others like myself find it more beneficial to work late at night). It's all honestly up to you! I don't schedule in exercise as its a routine for me to set the alarm extra early and either hit the gym, take the dog down to the park and jog or do strength training. If you don't have an exercise routine, I highly suggest scheduling time as physical activities help improve and stimulate you mentally = a more successful chance of remembering what you are studying. ALSO; giving yourself nights off when possible is always good too.

Few key points about studying:

• Designate a room in the house where you will be the most productive (My advise is anywhere but your bedroom. Your bedroom should be your down time, where you read or listen to music not a place to stress about exams/projects/essays).
• Organise your work space. A cluttered space = an unproductive time of studying. This is the time to stock up on really awesome organisational stationary such as folders, pen holders, rubbish bin, shelving etc.
• Break it up into manageable blocks; do x amount of studying in a suitable time frame of 30 minute blocks. For example; in the next 30 minutes, I will do 18 math questions. Afterwards take a 10 minute break to make a snack or chill and then get back into it. 
• Find some good tunes as background music, nothing too distracting thought! You won't get work done!
• COLOUR CODING! I cannot stress this enough. Colour coding your subjects and high lighting important work to remember has a better chance at being moved from short term memory to long term memory. I was fascinated by that in year 11 psychology class. 
• Get family or friends to test you. I found this the best way of truly understanding exactly how much I knew and what areas needed to be worked on.

Eating well:

I think everyone when under stress tends to go off track with their lifestyle but it is really important that you try and not to. Maintaining your lifestyle balance is ultra important and making sure you are eating the right foods to get the best maximum result!

• If your week is going to be hectic; pre-cook your meals over the weekend so that they are in the fridge and ready to go. This will ensure that you a) don't waste money whilst out on food and b) making sure you are eating well.
• Stock up on your favourite fruits; for me this is bananas so I try and always make sure that there are enough bananas for the week to get me through when hunger strikes! Plus its a natural source of energy for those hours where you hit the 'slump'.
• Your lifestyle is all about balance; so don't restrict! It's all about moderation so if you really want that cup cake or that bowl of ice cream, eat the damn stuff with no regrets! 
• Don't underestimate the power of a fresh juice! That stuff is absorbed so quickly into your system its ridiculous and really great for that fresh burst of 'zing'. 
• Eat breakfast. I'm astounded by the many people I've met who say they don't like breakfast. As many times as you have heard it, I am going to repeat it; it is the most important meal of the day, so don't skip it!

Try and avoid distractions; Facebook/ Twitter/ Tumblr etc when you know you should be studying! If self-discipline is not your style, there are apps available to block certain websites between time frames which are helpful!

FINALLY RE-DOING MY ROOM AND OFFICE.

I'm a big believer in that one should live in a space as is for a period of time before making decisions as to what needs to change for it to become more functional. This time has finally come! We've been in the new house for just a little over 4 months.

Nothing irks me more than rash decisions about the inside of houses just because it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing at first. Personally I find that this is  not the point, but rather to see and give time  to what exists to realise what can stay and be replaced or what needs to go altogether.

I'm pretty lucky in the fact that my Dad lets me design the functionality of our home. From buying furniture we need to kitchen appliances and whatever else will make it homely and functional whilst being aesthetically appealing. 

MY ROOM:

The one major difference I want to change is the lack of shelving. This was kind of a nightmare to put up with seeing as the little of shelving that is there is in the most inconvenient place but non the less this is about to change; I've narrowed the shelving down to one of two:

The above shelving can be found at: lightly (image on left) and freedom (image on right). The same set of shelving will be used in the office as well.  I've been hunting round for the perfect mirror to use in my room. The one in the bathroom is more than perfect enough for outfit checks, putting on make up etc but none the less I love having a mirror in my room.  I've fallen in love with Mark Tuckey's circular ply mirror .



The rest of my room design wise will come down to new accessories such as new bedding and throws. I sew and make my own cushions and throws from fabrics I've acquired so it will help add more uniqueness to the space. I already have an amazing industrial lamp that was given to me on my birthday last year and art work wise I'm waiting for my birthday to receive one of Maurice Golotta pieces; NAPLES
THE OFFICE:
This is the 2nd hub of our home and is super organised to the max already! My projects take up a lot of space on top of organising launching an online business and when my Dad's home from work he does a lot of illustration designs on the computer and hand printed works.

Re-doing the office is to modernise it a bit more and of course more shelving as mentioned above! We've already built a massive desk that spans around 2 of the walls and as I love new technology, updating the computers is first on the list since the iMacs we've got are over 3 years old; it's either the new 24 inch iMac with retina or the 27 inch iMac with retina..
I absolutely adore these saddle office chairs from west elm and am loving the fact that there is a store in Melbourne! I've loved their stuff for quiet some time. The one I want the most for the office is on the left but also adore the charcoal grey in the image on the right. They both can be found here; west elm



I'm sure for both rooms a few more bits and bobs will be acquired in the process of re-doing the rooms! When everything is done and I am happy with it I'll do another post with before and after pictures.
Loz x

BECI ORPIN

Beci Orpin has to be one of my top five favourite designers that I absolutely adore. Not only is her art aesthetically pleasing, the vibrancy of colours chosen to work with makes a lot of her work a focal point, but also for me the whimsical nature in which they are designed.

She also has a couple of books that are worth a peek; find & keep and home. The stand out thing whilst reading these books is the knowledge that she is actually a "working" artist who is making a living out of her dream, and whilst the industry is cutting edge and a fight to stand out amongst the crowd, it gives people like me (budding designers) knowledge that there are actual commercial opportunities out there when wanting to start your own business.


The photo set above are only a few of the amazing art works that she has produced,more of her works can be found here.

WELCOME TO THE LIFE OF LOZZ

I'm not entirely sure yet if this is a mistake to have yet another distraction but here I am anyway!

I wanted a place to better gather my thoughts and share with you things that I love design wise and actually talk about them. I'm a lover of design ranging from ; great art / architecture/ furniture / landscape / interior.

Another love of mine is cooking and baking healthy foods. I don't invent them myself because honestly I don't have time for that but I love coming across blogs and websites with new creations to try out so do expect photos and reviews!