Since I've been getting into Elvis I've really been itching to go digging through the antiques stores. Unfortunately I live in Europe so there's not much to be found like I'd imagine there is in the US, but it never hurts to look anyway, and really I love any excuse to go antiquing. It's fun to look around and fantasize about what my future forever home might look like.
Bears like this always break my heart a little bit. Someone clearly loved him very fiercely once, and judging from how worn he is probably carried him everywhere for comfort. And now he's locked in a cabinet and will probably never have the chance to be loved like that ever again :(
I love weird oddities. A pig playing a violin, why not.
The one single Elvis thing I found. It's a clock and his legs swing from side to side for the seconds. I did not buy it.
I can never resist a frog.
The things I did buy. The dress is genuine 1950s and was cheap because it has a hole in it, but I think I can fix it up and it'll make a nice summer dress. Also some Donovan and Elvis records, and a tiny little porcelain Alice.
I traveled to London over the weekend for my birthday, and I know I travel to London a lot but I don't usually stay over so it felt like a real treat! It was all a bit last minute so I wasn't really sure what to do outside of shows I had booked, but I had a lot of fun.
Instead I decided to go back into the city center and spent my time browsing all of the book shops and record stores. I used to be really into record collecting and had almost 1000 of them at one point, but then I sold them all and it paid for me to go to New York and see 4 shows on Broadway which put the hobby into perspective. But for the past couple of months I haven't been able to walk by an HMV store without going in to touch the MCR records wistfully, and I kind of want to get back into it. Not like I used to, it became a really toxic part of my life where I was getting lectured and patronized by old men on the internet and I felt like I had to have the 'right' pressings and collect the 'right' musicians to be seen as a valid part of the community. Musical taste is something so deeply personal, and mine is kind of eclectic and not very expansive and I hated being made to feel guilty for that when I just wanted to hyperfocus on my favorite bands. Purging myself of that whole collection and the performance it had become felt so therapeutic, even more so by using that money to do something I'd always wanted. I never intended for my record collection and dress style to become my entire personality (and also why I barely post outfit photos anymore despite the fact I still love dressing up!) and I really came to resent absolutely everything about it, and it's only recently that I've been able to recover from that and rediscover some of these interests again on my own terms.
It's something I've been thinking about a lot recently, and now I'm getting into Elvis I just feel like it's time. I don’t even own a record player at the moment, but there’s just something so compelling about collecting physical media of your favorite things. And really it’s not just the vinyl itself, but the artwork and the sleeve and the whole experience. So I decided to just go for it on a bit of a whim, and it's honestly made me so happy and I'm really excited to get back into this, and just buy the stuff that means the absolute world to me. And these are what I got in London!
As for shows, I saw The Phantom of the Opera on my actual birthday (of course I did!), and I originally was hoping to see Wicked too but because it was last minute and a Saturday the seats were not good so I decided to do something a bit different and went for a play instead and saw Life Of Pi. I've never read the book it's based on, only seen the movie and that was so long ago I'd forgotten most of the gist of it but I really liked it a lot! There's a lot of puppetry and light effects so I really got lost in it. I did keep expecting them to sing though.
I originally wanted to make a little 'photo a day' type post as they're something I really love looking back on, but then some days I kept forgetting to take pictures and other days I took too many, so I guess this turned into more of a 'random things I got up to last week' kind of post.
I've really gotten into Lego, but I'm trying to hold off of building my kits because of plans. But I figured two little flowers couldn't hurt, and I had a lot of fun putting them together. I really love a lot of the botanicals range Lego has been releasing, and as someone who really sucks at looking after plants they feel like a fun alternative. I also love how well these fit in with my decor, sunflowers are my favorite flower as you may be able to tell.
After I spent a few days with my sewing machine my room was covered in scraps of fabric and bits of thread as I'm always in such rush to hurry through it as quickly as possible because it takes over my entire workspace which is stressful. So giving my room a deep clean afterwards is one of the best feelings in the world, and I just love how cozy my space looks when everything is in its place.
After the machine sewing was done I had some final hand sewing to finish things up nicely, such as the buttons. So I spent an evening clearing some movies from my watchlist while I got it all done before I had a chance to procrastinate it forever.
Hans arrived! Prince Hans in his coronation suit was the only doll I was missing from my Frozen collection, and because he's less popular and kids don't have taste enough to want him he's really rare which means expensive. I've had it on my eBay alerts for years so saw him as soon as he was listed. He was the cheapest I've ever seen, and described as "well played with" with grainy photos so honestly I was expecting the worst, but he's literally perfect and I couldn't be happier to finally welcome him.
I saw Elvis at the cinema, and omg. I only really went for Baz Luhrmann as he's one of my favorite directors so I didn't know much about Elvis before going in, and learning about some of the history behind his career was quite shocking. I had no idea he was taken advantage of so much by his manager, and it was so sad seeing him be so emotionally manipulated and exploited. Elvis is such a legendary figure that it feels weird to say that he was held back, but he really was and I can't help but wonder what kind of status he might now hold if he'd had the freedom in his career that he so wanted. For example it absolutely boggles my mind to learn that he never even performed outside of the US - ever. So many times throughout this movie I was mentally begging Elvis to lawyer up, but then I had to remind myself that it was a completely different, more naive time and celebrity of Elvis's status was literally brand new and no one knew what they were doing. Although I've always liked old music and was aware of Elvis on a cultural level, I've never really taken any notice of him either and like a lot of younger generations tend to just associate him with bad impersonators and the tackiness of Vegas. Add to that how much he gets clowned in popular media and he never really felt like anything to take seriously so it was difficult to understand his impact. This movie is far from perfect, but it's made me really interested in the real Elvis, and I love that it showed the human side to him to introduce a whole new generation to his work. Plus I've discovered that his elder fans are some of the most patient and welcoming I've ever met, which is a lot more than I can say about fans of other classic rock bands honestly.
Anyway, I guess I get to have an Elvis phase now as he's occupied about 80% of my brain since seeing the movie. Stay tuned to watch a hyperfocus play out in real time!
I got a half year planner to start a draw everyday challenge. I felt inspired by a video where an artist used a planner and you could see where she'd skipped days because the page was blank which felt like a good way to keep myself accountable. I'm using the Hobonichi Techo Avec as it's small enough to carry round with me everywhere and nothing bleeds through the thin paper, not even watercolor. I'm trying not to be too fussy about what I put in it so long as I draw something, even if it's ugly. I've been in a real bad art block for over a year now, and I remember back when I did the whole of Inktober in 2019 it really opened the creative floodgates so I'm hoping this will have a similar effect.
I also had to break out and sharpen a brand new col-erase, which may not look like much but these pencils are really hard to get hold of in Europe so I bought a handful of them when I went to New York so they feel special and have a romantic attachment to that trip for me. And after 2+ years of a pandemic that romantic attachment has only grown stronger and made me even more determined to get back there someday.
I've had such a crazy busy week, but it's been so much fun! On Monday I travelled to London to see Phantom of the Opera again, I think it's the third time this year so far? I've really been making the most of seeing my favorite shows as much as I can while I can! And it was my first time seeing the alternate Christine which made the show a little different, although it confirmed that I prefer Lucy St Louis's interpretation as I feel like it's more Leroux book accurate. But that's such a personal thing and all it comes down to, they're both perfect. There were quite a few other covers on too for various roles, it's always fun trying to spot who's stepped into which role.
And then on Thursday I travelled to Milton Keynes to see My Chemical Romance!! OMG!! I am now a Milton Keynes hate account and there were some other aspects of the day that just really brought the mood down, but I'm just so so happy that I got to see my favorite band live! I really didn't think I was going to be able to, but then other plans got delayed and there were still tickets available and it just all felt like serendipity. I got the VIP package as it was either that or the nosebleeds, so I ended up with the exclusive merch package and priority entry which meant I was 2nd row from barrier which was surreal - I was standing about 5 meters directly in front of Frank for most of the show!
I've been really struggling with drawing lately, I guess it's just regular art block but it's hard as my illustration is so important to me and it feels like a big part of myself is missing. Also the longer it's gone on, the more it feels like my imagination has dried up with it and I don't even know what to draw anymore! I thought I'd do some kind of drawing challenge this month to finish up my current sketchbook quickly as I've been using the same one for a year (I usually get through a sketchbook every 6 months!) and I'm just ready to be done with it and move on to a new one. But while I was coming up with ideas for the prompts I kept thinking 'I'll draw that in the new sketchbook once this one is finished' which is dumb and made me realize that maybe I just need to be done with this sketchbook right now, finished or not. I like the art that's in it so far, but it feels stupid to fill the rest of it with mediocre drawings I don't care about just for some pride of being able to say I completed it when all I want is a fresh start.
I was planning on buying a new sketchbook when I go to London next week to see Frozen, but it feels like so long to wait when I want to draw right now! I use Leuchtturm1917 sketchbooks which I could get on Amazon, but Leuchtturm have recently changed them so I was hoping that if I picked one out in person then I might be able to find an older model. I'm still going to check for that when I do go to London, but it turns out I could only get one of the newer ones anyway but I decided it was better than nothing, especially as I'd travelled 70 miles just to get to the art shop. It felt like a lot of fun going on such a trek for one little item though, and turned it into an adventure.
I ended up really liking the changes to the sketchbook, go figure. I got some screentones back when I lived in Japan, but I never really used them as I don't draw in a comic book style so I wasn't sure how to incorporate them, and most of my attempts made the tones look barely noticeable so it felt like a waste of time. I was fumbling around for a background for another drawing when I suddenly remembered I had these, and now I figured it out I've been having a lot of fun with them!
We've been having a lot of storms across Europe lately, and today it snowed which always makes me feel like a little kid again and I have to go out and walk in it. It always quickly turns to slush, so it's never a threat and you have to make the most of it while you can. I've been spending a lot of cozy time indoors with my sketchbook and journals and plenty of soup as it's just too miserable to go anywhere.
Also my Hobonichi arrived! I'm so excited for this stupid little book, you have no idea. I'd heard of Hobonichi for a while, I even flicked through one when I lived in Japan and saw a display of them, but to me it just looked like a fairly boring planner and I didn't get it. But I have enjoyed creative journaling for a few years now, so I guess it was inevitable that I'd end up here eventually. I watch Abbey Sy and she spoke of her A6 cover which inspired me to check out the website, and as soon as I saw this Count the Lights design I absolutely fell in love with it. Unfortunately it was sold out, but I managed to find one on a random website in Taiwan. It came as a set with the planner, originally I just wanted the cover but as it was the only way to get it I wasn't going to turn it down. And I'm actually really enjoying the planner so far! I wasn't sure what I'd do with it at first as I already have a planner and a journal for this year, but I decided I'm not going to be too fussy about it and just write whatever in it each day. A quote from a book I'm reading, thoughts on a movie I've watched, blog post ideas, illustration thumbnails, just kind of a brain dump but organized in a way that I'll want to look back on for the memories. And I'm really enjoying it so far.
There's this leather jacket on the My Chemical Romance webstore that I've been umming and ahhing over for the longest time. I liked the jacket, but to be honest I'd kind of remembered it differently and preferred my imaginary version to what was actually available, so surely it couldn't be that hard to just thrift a jacket and paint on it myself, right?
After I got back from seeing Mika in Luxembourg I knew I couldn't let the opportunity to see him again pass me by! Before I'd arranged to go to Luxembourg I'd originally been trying to decide whether to go to that show or the one in Utrecht, so I decided I'd go to both - plus attend both of the Mika shows in Utrecht because if I'm travelling that far then I may as well, right?
Towards the end of last year Mika kicked off his Revelation tour in London, and I was so bummed that I missed it because I was in Disneyland Paris! I figured that was that, I'd missed him and would have to miss the tour. But then in late December when I was sorting through my journal in preparation for the new year I came across a paragraph I'd written after I came home from New York about how "I want to be this happy again, I want to make the effort to travel to see my favorite performers instead of wishing they'd come to me. And if that means cutting back in other areas and travelling long distances for just a day or two, then I think it will be worth it. Hopefully I can make the opportunity happen again!" And all of those feelings I had at that time came flooding back to me, and I realized how stupid I was being with Mika's tour. I'd traveled all the way to New York just to see Aaron Tveit, and now I only had to hop across the Channel to see Mika!
I checked the remaining dates he had for Europe and set about checking logistically how I could get there, how cheap flights and hotels were, how close they were from the airport, and all of that kind of stuff, which is how I settled on Luxembourg. I'd never been to Luxembourg so had no idea really about the country even, but I decided that was where I was going to go and booked it all straight away!
I spent most of the day queuing and it paid off as I managed to be one of the first into the venue and sprinted to the stage and personally think I ended up in one of the best spots! I was first row on the side of the platform, you can see how close I was to the stage here, and Mika used the platform more than he used the stage so I got to see a lot of him and made direct eye contact several times. He actually came into the crowd for Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) which was amazing, although I couldn't see him for most of it I thought that was so great for the people at the back.
I know I'm a bit biased, but it was easily one of the best concerts I've ever been to. I waited to meet him afterwards too and got to say a few words of thanks, he's literally the nicest human being. It was such a good night that I didn't want it to end.
Meeting him afterwards. I don't like shoving cameras in people's faces, so I took this as he was leaving so I could prove to myself it actually happened.
Obviously I had to buy a few things to add to my collection. I really wanted the hoodie most of all, I'd been eyeing it up on the web store. I DID NOT want to buy a tote bag, before I went I kept telling myself "What ever you do, DO NOT buy a tote bag, you have about 8 at home" and then I bought a tote bag. The poster I got from one of those dodgy types selling knock offs outside, but I really love the artwork for No Place In Heaven and for €3 I figured why not - I didn't notice the pixelated autograph until I got it to my hotel room, but I'll still put it up.
I felt really emotional seeing the venue the next day on my way to the train station ♥
I've been so busy lately that time feels so weird and off kilter. I was only in Luxembourg for two nights, but when I got home it felt more like I'd been away for two weeks. On my drive home from the airport it struck me that at the exact same time one week earlier I'd driven along the same road on my way home from the Joker Q&A in London, but surely that was at least a month ago?? And just twelve hours before that very moment I was saying 'Bonjour' to a local crow and climbing over Casemates du Bock in Luxembourg City, but it felt more like a distant memory. It just all feels a bit surreal. I wrote on my Twitter that it's only January and already this year I've met one of my favorite musicians and the creator of one of my favorite movies, and it's just all been so incredible.
I'm off to Utrecht next week, I was originally weighing up attending that show or the one in Luxembourg so I already had it all researched and I decided it's worth cutting back in other areas so I can experience both. It was just so perfect and now already feels like a distant dream which feels unfair, so I definitely want to do it again whilst I have the opportunity. I feel like that's the biggest thing I've learnt these past few years, to stop talking about stuff and actually do it as you literally never know what might happen in the future to stop you from doing all of the pie in the sky ideas in your head. Mika often takes long breaks so I have no idea when I'd next get to see him otherwise, and I've always wanted to visit the Netherlands anyway and I can visit Amsterdam as I'll be passing through it for the airport. I'm already planning to go to the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, and perhaps the Rijksmuseum, and I'm going to two Mika shows as he's doing three there and I figure if I'm travelling all the way to the Netherlands anyway then an extra day won't hurt.
