stuff – that lemon life

There’s Nothing Like Film / Part 2

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing today? I hope so far you’re having a lovely Friday and that your week has been nice. Lots of good and bad stuff happening right now, huh? On the one side, there’s the world being in literal shambles, dumb politicians and us being stuck at home, on the other one there movements finally changing the world, Taylor Swift releasing a surprise album and us finding new ways to connect. When I look at the world, I often remember what I read online about a month into quarantine – if this never happened, this version of you right now would never exist. And I see that as both something good and something bad. And it makes me wonder a lot, mostly about which version I would prefer. I think it makes you reflect on life, which I think is really important.

What a philosophical start, huh? But truly, I think taking a good look at the world is so important right now. Which is probably why I love photography so much, because it makes you look at the world, and in most cases in different ways. It makes you see the beauty in things that you never saw before. And now that I have this film camera, that I’ve been carrying around with me basically all the time, I see this beauty in the world in a way where I have the power to capture it in that very second that I’m taking a picture. Including the surprise of not really knowing how the picture will actually turn out. Which makes me feel a bit nervous and super excited at the same time. And it has kinda also made me love imperfection. You know, with a digital camera you can just perfect every shot, because you can change just about everything. But with a film camera, there’s only so much you can do besides just taking the picture. So when a picture turns out to be blurry, that’s just what it is. That’s how you captured that moment. And it might not be perfect in the way we know it, but it’s still that moment in a picture, so full of life and creativity, and that’s what I love about it.

So last week, I finally got my second roll of film developed and I’m just so happy to share the finished pictures with you all today. I haven’t been photographing with film for that long now, but it’s already been such a learning curve. I’ve been trying out different types of film for now and I think with the roll I’m currently shooting on, I think I’ll try out different stages of light, just to see how the camera really works with that. But so far every shot has been super fun and I love seeing how the pictures turn out depending on how I’m taking them in those very moments – the pictures down below were taken at home, during a holiday, when we went hiking, at all kinds of places.

I think compared to the first roll you can clearly see how both the type of film and me getting acclimated and more used to the camera have changed the quality of the pictures (here’s the link to my first roll of pictures). Which again is super fascinating. I’m already super excited to see how the next one’s going to turn out and I can’t wait to show the pictures to you once they’re developed. And until then I hope you enjoy the pictures down below. As always, I’d love to hear your opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I wish you all a lovely weekend and, of course, thanks for reading. x

What Now?

Hola everyone.

Well, where do I start? It’s been a tough few days and weeks and I’m probably not alone in asking myself when this hell of a time will finally end. I was actually planning on publishing a recent interview I did with the amazing LA indie band HUNNY back when I was still in London, but I thought an update would probably be a bit more beneficial. So here’s what’s been happening here in Austria and also in my own headspace.

Let’s start with something positive first, as all I’ve been surrounded by in the past few weeks have been bad news and I can’t deal with them anymore. I’m officially 24 and 3 days old. Yeeeeeyyyyy me. That’s one thing this asshat of a virus couldn’t take away from me – my birthday. And despite all that’s been happening, it was actually a super nice day. Take that, Corona, you pain the ass. The whole day was dedicated to forgetting about the current events as much as possible and it really worked, which made me insanely happy. I spent a lovely day with my parents and even got to see my grandma (in a safe way, obvs) and just two days ago I had my Skype birthday party with my friends. Because that’s how you party in 2020 – via facetime. A few weeks ago I would’ve probably said that was quite lame, but it actually was really really nice to see all my friends and to have a chat together. Also, I got myself an amazing birthday present – an Olympus XA2 film camera, which I can’t wait to finally get my hands on.

Besides that, I’ve been stuck on a shitty, emotional rollercoaster since I came home about two weeks ago (feels like I’ve been home five months, not two weeks). One day I’m feeling okay and pretty optimistic and then a few hours later I seem to have lost every sense of positivity. It’s a constant up and down. But through all of this, I’ve learned to accept my own feelings and to work with them. I feel like right now many people look down on people who are complaining about missing out on experiences, holiday trips, birthday parties, weddings, all that. Because it’s constantly about the greater good, about saving lives. And of course, that’s the top priority right now. But sometimes it’s also okay to feel depressed, to have negative thoughts, to be sad or simply to be egoistic. Because trust me when you’re stuck in the same house for over two weeks with nowhere else to go or nothing else to do, your world gets really small really quick.

And yes, I’ve been feeling very anxious. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be able to return to London and my old life. And I’ve told many people about my worries and have often heard that I need to accept the current situation and that there’s nothing I can do, but fuck that, honestly. Do you know what it feels like to live your literal dream life, to build a new life up somewhere else, a completely new place, and have it be this perfect and then have it ripped out of your hands in a matter of a few minutes? It’s shit, that’s what it is. And I know some of you might think I’m insane for saying stuff like this out loud because I should probably tell you to #stayathome and pray or tell you who I’m staying at home for or tell you how dramatic the situation is in Italy and that nobody should complain even once, but, again, fuck that. Quite a lot of us are losing quite a lot right now, by the simple act of staying at home for longer than any of us have ever had to in the past and it should be allowed to talk about it. People are losing to illnesses that have been here way longer than this virus has. People can’t watch their children being born. Happy couples had to cancel their weddings. People are losing jobs on a daily basis. My mum had to close her office and put her whole company on hold two weeks ago with no information about when she’ll be able to work again and little to no support from the government. My dad works at a bank and still has to go to work every day, risking his life and the lives of others day by day (although I’d do quite a lot to be able to go outside and see other people right now). And then there’s me with no idea when I’ll be able to return to London, my second home, again.

So, every day has become a huge ass question mark, which is just another reason why I’ve started to live from one day to another. I’ve stopped making plans for anything, because I’d rather have no plans than having yet another event canceled that I was looking forward to (*cough* any concerts ever *cough*). And besides that, it has also kinda helped me to stay positive. Daily walks have become my highlight of the day. I’ve buried myself in a book I’ve been reading (The Nightingale; it’s fantastic, but definitely not for someone looking for a light, fun read) and I’ve actually resurrected my Nintendo DS and have been playing Harvest Moon in my urge of getting my mind off buying a Switch so I can play Animal Crossing, like 90 % percent of the internet right now (I’m so damn close to buying it though). And on a more artistic note, I’ve recently started drawing again, which has really helped me calm down when I’m feeling anxious. And cuddling with my loved ones, that’s a big one as well. Cuddle and hold your parents and anyone you’re stuck inside with right now. Talk to your friends. Go and press your cat or dog to your face. It really helps.

In a nutshell, that’s what my life has been like in the past two weeks. It has been just as chaotic as this blog post right here. I go from straight-up positivity to the darkest of times in a matter of a few hours day by day, but I know I’m not alone in this and that kinda helps. I guess we’re all in this together. So let’s just try and be kind to each other. But as I’ve sworn myself, please promise me to never disregard your own feelings. It’s okay if you’re feeling down or feel like there’s nothing to get up for. Or if you’re feeling happy while people around you aren’t. Your feelings are important and so are you. Please know that. The only thing I want you to remember is that there’s always something or someone to get out of bed for and it might not seem like it right now, but a smile is always better than nothing. Go and spread positivity in any way possible. And if the news are getting too much for you, just turn them off. Do what makes you feel good.

Please take care of yourself, guys. Again, we’re all in this together and we’ll get through this together. I’m sending you all tight hugs from my living room in Austria and hope you’re all doing good, as good as you can. If any of you feel like talking, I’m always here for you. And until then, thanks for listening to my rambling and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Hello 2020

Hola everyone.

Happy new yeaaaar. (Oh my god, I’m so late, I can’t even believe it.) I hope you all are doing good and that you had a fantastic Christmas break and a great New Year’s Eve/Day and so on.

First of all, I want to apologize for being gone for so long. Like many others, I went home for the holidays and thus didn’t really have the time to focus on this blog. I mean, I’m sure I could’ve just posted some stuff, but this blog means way too much to me to post some mediocre content just for the sake of uploading something. That’s definitely not what this blog is about. But now that I’m back in London, I finally have the time again to sit down and write again.

As a little update on my behalf – the time I got to spend at home was absolutely fantastic. I mean, it was so lovely that for the first time in forever, I actually feel a bit homesick now that I’m back in the UK and away from home and my family. That’s how beautiful it was. I met up with my friends and my family, celebrated Christmas and New Years with them and went on a short holiday to Croatia with my parents and Molly. I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie with Peaches in my arms, went on countless walks with my mum and Molly, won and lost at card games, cooked delicious meals for my parents and overall just had a really really nice time. I really love my home. And I can’t wait to go back again in March.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’m not happy to be back in London after that month at home. Not at all. I think it will just take a bit of time for me to get into my routine here again. Go back to uni and work. Meet up with my friends and go to the cinema together. All the stuff I couldn’t do while being at home. And I truly am looking forward to the upcoming few weeks and months. I love it here, I really do. And I’ve already got so many exciting adventures and events planned, that there isn’t even any other option than to fully enjoy my time in London.

These plans also include this blog, which I really want to get rolling again now that I’m back. I still owe all of you my list of my favourite songs of 2019 and I’m thinking about doing a cute, little “goodbye 2019”-post, to basically reflect on the year and talk about the good (and bad) stuff. So I’m definitely going to write that. And maybe I’ll write a little thing about Tom’s gig that I went to at the beginning of December, the day before I went back home, which, unsurprisingly, was absolutely fantastic. Tom really never fails to blow me away.

Regarding today’s post, the one you’re reading right now (thanks for being here, btw), I thought it would be nice to just welcome the new year in. 2020 has arrived and with it a lot of things to look forward to, but also a few things that I would rather not have in this world. Australia is on fire, the USA (Trump) is trying very hard to start a fight with Iran and other countries and besides that, there’s just a lot of stuff happening that definitely doesn’t put a smile on my face (or any face, really). And I know that might make everything and the start of 2020 look a bit dark, but especially in situations like these, it’s crucial to focus on the good stuff. On all the things that actually do make you smile. The ones that are worth thinking of. Naturally, it’s very important to not just ignore today’s issues, but there are still ways to think positive while dealing with them. For example, I donated some money to the Wildlife Rescue Center in Australia. And the moment I did it, it lifted my heart a bit, because I was at least trying to help. So no matter how bad it might seem, there are always ways to help and make things better. And that’s kind of also my mantra for 2020 – to focus on the good stuff and try to do good as well. Say no to bad vibes. Or at least try to turn them into good ones.

I truly hope that you are all doing good and that you’re as excited for this year as I am. And maybe also for the comeback of this blog after the short hiatus. I am incredibly happy to be back and I can’t wait to continue sharing my adventures, stories, and thoughts with you guys. 2020 is going to be a blast, I can already feel it. So let’s all make sure it really will be. As always, I’d be super happy to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. And, of course, I hope you enjoyed this post, wish you a nice week and thanks for reading. x

What’s up

Hola everyone.

How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope so far you’ve had a nice week and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. I am definitely. This week has been quite busy, so I’m really excited to just relax for a bit. Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you guys about today. Quite some time has passed since my last update post and since I just sat down and chatted to you guys for bit, told you what’s happening in my life and how living in London has turned me into a whole new person (I’m only kidding, obviously). So, why not get straight into it?

This Sunday, on the 20th of October, it will, in all honesty, as much as I can’t believe it, be my first anniversary of living here in London. One month. I think this month has actually been the shortest of my whole life. Feels like a week. But at the same time, it feels like I’ve been here for ages, simply because of all the things that I’ve already done and that have happened. Concert season officially started two weeks, opened up by the fantastic band Inhaler, who were, as always and unsurprisingly, absolutely fantastic. They played at this tiny venue in Camden, which was sold out, of course. But you could really tell that they are one of those bands to keep an eye on right now. Also, the freakiest thing ever happened. Not only was one of the actors from the show Discovery of Witches (and I think he’s in Killing Eve as well) standing right in front of my friend and me in the crowd – his name is Edward Bluemel if you want to look him up. But when the gig had ended, after a few minutes of us waiting for the space to clear up and maybe another celebrity popping up out of nowhere, Noel freaking Gallagher walked past us. Yes, the Oasis dude. That one, yep. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I was not even close to being as excited as my friend, who I think had a hard time trying not to squeal, but, I mean, it’s Oasis. Everyone knows Oasis. Everyone loves Wonderwall. And that guy literally just stood in front of us for so damn long. And nobody even cared. It was the coolest and most surreal experience.

The next gig I went to was actually just a few days ago – The Academic at Scala. I mean, what can I say. I just love those guys. It was such a fun gig. And on top of their whole amazingness, it was even Craig’s, their lead singer’s birthday, which made it all even more special. Again, another sold out gig, which didn’t surprise me at all. They deserve to play sold out shows, they really do. If any of you ever get the chance to see them, I’d totally recommend you checking them out. They’re worth it, trust me.

What I’m not counting as going to gigs though are all the shows I’ve been to the past few weeks due to my work. Yes, I did actually manage to get a job, within the first week I had moved here, to be exact, which I’m still incredibly proud of. I now work at a fantastic venue here in London, which I’m incredibly happy about. I wouldn’t say it’s the most chill job, but it’s definitely worth it. And I just love being in that space. There’s great music and everyone is happy and celebrating this phenomenal form of art. I love it.

And yeah, besides that, nothing much has been going on. Uni has been absolutely amazing so far, which I’m very happy about. Our cat here at home, Maisy, has officially become my new roommate, as she basically spends all her time in my room when she’s not eating or outside in the garden. I’m not going to lie, that’s actually one of the most prominent reasons why I love our place so much. I mean, I basically own a cat here. A cat. Me. The personification of love for cats. I’m the granny with 20 cats. That’s me right there. Although, I have to admit that it sometimes does make me miss Peaches, my baby, even more. I’ll be going home for the Christmas break again this year, so I’ll be seeing her and the rest of my lovely family again in less than two months, which I’m already so excited about. As much as I love being here in London, basically living (in) my dream, I’d still do everything to be able to shrink my house and my family and just bring them with me. But that’s the price I had to pay for this. And I can still “see” them whenever we facetime, so at the end of the day, it’s all good.

So, all in all, so far the month here in London has been absolutely stunning. I still haven’t fully reached the level of realization that I now really live here, but that’s alright. Maybe I’ll be walking around in Soho in one or two months and then it will hit me and I’ll burst into happy tears and everyone will think I’m crazy. Oh well. In the end, I again have to thank my family for making all of this happen. This is absolutely unbelievable and I feel like the luckiest person in the universe.

But, now, enough from me. What about you guys? Are you all doing good? How has life been? Please don’t hesitate to send me a message if you want to chat or leave your comments and thoughts down below. As always, I hope you enjoyed this little update and wish you an amazing weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

Hello again

Hola everybody.

And welcome back to my blog. I’m officially and finally back from my study/exam break and I seriously can’t even describe how much I’ve missed posting stuff on here and talking to you guys. I mean, I have, like, such a long list of topics for different blogposts, that I don’t even know where to start. And even just writing this right now fills me with so much joy. God, what would I do without this blog? I seriously have no idea.

I’m beyond sorry that it took me so long to get back again, but I just started my summer break, which basically means that I began working this Monday and I just had to get used to that – for example to having to wake up at 7 am every single freaking morning. I still haven’t fully found my perfect rhythm, but I’m hoping to accomplish that within the next few days, so I can actually start writing my bachelor thesis and my last few projects for uni.

But I have to say, I’m really really happy to be back home again. I’m currently sitting in bed and Peaches is lying next to me and seriously guys, whatever I’m feeling right now, I know it’s pure, unconditional love. This cat is the love of my life. No joke. And I can’t wait to spend the upcoming months with her. And the rest of my family and friends too, of course.

I actually just wanted to use this post as some kind of update and welcome. But I know that you’re all curious about what happened during my break, so here’s a little sneak peek. So, first of all, all my exams went down pretty good and if I’m not mistaken, I think I’ve passed every single one of them. Which means that I just have to finish my thesis now and then I’m officially graduating from uni, which is the craziest thing ever. It’s so weird to actually finish something you’ve been working your butt off for years. I mean, all I could think about in secondary school was uni. And now I’m already graduating. That’s so unbelievable. I mean, I’m not finished finished, you guys know about me moving to the UK to continue studying, but I’m leaving Vienna and basically my home country and that’s crazy enough, trust me. And if we’re already talking about moving to the UK – guys, I’ve finally found a place to live in. And holy moly, I actually can’t believe that I seriously managed to find myself such a great place and such an amazing family. I’ll be sharing the house with a couple and gosh, they are so cool. I mean, they’re basically me, just with a few more years of life experience. I couldn’t be happier, really. And the house is located just two minutes from the sea and the beach, which is like pretty much the most amazing aspect of the house. I mean, I’ll be basically spending the upcoming year at the beach, I can already tell you that. God, I’m so excited, this is going to be so so awesome.

And last but not least, as I already mentioned in my latest posts, I need to tell you all about my time at the festival that I got to work at. It was so freaking amazing. Oh my god. I can’t even describe it. It was one of those moments and experiences in life that basically change everything. Like when you first try Nutella. That changes you. And that’s what this week at the festival did to me. I seriously can’t wait to spend the rest of my life in that environment. I just love it so much, with all my heart. But before I’m starting to give away too much, I’ll just stop right here and keep the rest for the extra post in which I’m going to tell you all about my time there, from the beginning to the very end.

So yeah guys, there you go. Those are basically the most important things that happened during the time I’ve been away. Apart from that there are quite some new albums and songs waiting to be discussed about and I did a little photoshoot with what could be the dreamiest dress ever and I have so many new tv shows I want to tell you guys about, so please stay tuned for more. Like I said, I’m officially back again and yeah, I’d say let’s bring this blog back to life, shall we?

Anyways, I hope you guys are doing great and enjoying the summer. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this little post and I wish you an amazing weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x

London haul

Hola everyone.

I know, I don’t have anything to explain, you already read the title. Welcome to another haul (yeeeeey). Actually, I’m pretty excited – probably even more than you guys – because I can talk some more about some of my favorite topics. Shopping, books and fashion. And London. I mean, it was pretty obvious that I would be going shopping in London. I tried to stop myself from walking into every single store before this trip, to stop myself from buying stuff, as I needed my money for this holiday and my planned shopping there. That’s what I call dedication.

Clothing

Okay, so clothing-wise I didn’t really plan on buying something, I just knew the shops I wanted to visit ASAP. And one of those was Lazy Oaf. Some of you might know this super crazy clothing label, but if you don’t know, you need to check it out now. Like, seriously, right now. Here’s the link to their website: lazyoaf.com

I personally have a special relationship with this label. I got to know it through two of my favorite YouTubers – Marzia and Arden. They both love the label and wear it pretty often in their videos and pictures and one day I was looking at them and thinking “oh my god, I need to know what they are wearing”. And since then I’ve been checking out the Lazy Oaf website every once in a while, mostly once a week, looking for their newest pieces. I just love their clothing with all of my heart. It’s fun and colorful and literally so out of my comfort zone, it just draws me to it. And it’s based in London, my favorite city ever. So yeah, the label has a lot of pros, but the only con are their prices. I’m usually not the person to spend too much money on clothes, so I mostly just admire Lazy Oaf from afar.

But guys, the wait is now over. I officially own a piece of Lazy Oaf clothing and I’m loving it. I have to say, their store in London is freaking amazing. It’s situated in a small house in Soho and just screams cool. It’s colorful and freaky and weird. I loved it. I don’t know how long we actually stayed in there, but in like the last few minutes me and my mum found this supercool jumper and what can I say, it was love at first sight. And now it’s the moment I have to thank my mum, because as soon as I tried it on, I didn’t want to leave without it and I think she saw that in my eyes and decided to buy it for me. How nice is that? You’re the best, mum. So yeah, I now have this supercool, weird and unique jumper and I can’t wait to wear it. I would have never guessed that I would once own a Lazy Oaf piece, but now I do and I seriously couldn’t be happier.

The second piece of clothing I brought home from London is this amazing vintage blouse. I mean, look at it. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been wearing it the past days and I just fall for it even more and more, day by day, minute by minute. I found it at this amazing vintage market we came across in Shoreditch. If any of you are into vintage clothing, I can guarantee that you would have loved this market. It was so cool. There were so many different blouses to choose from, I seriously could have bought every single one. But I’m really deeply in love with this one, I think it looks super unique and special. My first vintage piece.

Books

You guys know how much I love books and reading. So books were that part that I had planned to buy in London, as I only read books in English and were do I find more English books than in the UK (duh)? So I dragged my parents into Waterstones at Piccadilly Circus and I don’t know how long we stayed there, but I can tell you, it was pretty long. When I had finally worked my way through the young adult fiction section, I had twelve books resting in my arms. Did you ever have to choose your favorites from a huge collection of already favorites? It’s freaking hard. Not to be dramatic, but it’s nearly impossible. I was standing there, completely alone in the YA section, starring at a stack of books, debating which ones I wanted to keep and which ones I was willing to leave behind. That makes it official – I’m literally the biggest bookworm. But in the end I managed to pick my favorite favorites and here they are:

My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend – by Eleanor Wood
Sunflowers in February – by Phyllida Shrimpton
Truly Madly Awkward – by Beth Garrod
The Book of Loud – by Marshall
Finding Audrey – by Sophie Kinsella
Words in Deep Blue – by Cath Crowley

I’m seriously more than excited to read every single one of these books. If any of you have read any of them, please let me know what you think about them and whether you like them or not. I’ll of course add them to the book club and keep you up-to-date.

This and that

Okay, and here comes the last part – everything that doesn’t fit into clothing or books. And that brings me to one of my favorite moments of the trip – the moment we visited platform 9 3/4. My potter-heart is already going crazy thinking about it. Some of you may know that I’m overly in love with the whole Harry Potter / Hogwarts universe, ever since I grew up with the whole story. So visiting the platform at Kings Cross was a must for me.

But holy moly, I wasn’t the only one. I can’t remember if I’ve ever been into such a packed store, it was literally stuffed with customers. We even had to wait in a line outside. But at least for me it was totally worth it. I got to see all the different wands up close and there was the typical Hogwarts music playing in the background. I don’t know, apart from the people, it just felt like home. And I’m so happy with the stuff I got from there – a Hogwarts pin badge and a ticket for the Hogwarts Express. I know, some of you might say “isn’t she a bit too old for this?”, but all I can say is “silencio”. But all jokes aside, I really love this whole universe. I grew up with it, I pretty much know all the movies by heart and I read all the books. It’s a part of me. And I’m not afraid to show my love for it, no matter how old I am.

Besides that, the other stuff I got were just basic things like newspapers and magazines, but hey, they are from London, so I just had to take them home with me. Oh and I got this supercute “I love London” sign, which was the last sign missing in my collection on my wall and I’m so happy that I finally got to fill the empty spot.

And there you go guys, that’s my London haul. I can just say that I freaking love this city and everything I got and brought home with me. All the pieces mean a lot to me and I’m so proud to own them. But guys, I’m really excited to hear what you think about all the pieces, so please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts down below. Oh, and I hope you’re all doing good and I wish you an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Ps: If some of you may have noticed, yes I indeed did color and cut my hair. It’s now shoulder-length and a rusty-reddish-brown color and I freaking love it. I used Henna again to color it and I’ve always wanted to cut my hair and I finally did it and I couldn’t be happier.