Sew Buttons

I don't know about you guys but I think I may have overindulged during the festive period *sooo much food* 
My down fall was the numerous vegan desserts my mom decided to make - what can I say the woman has talent so who am I to deny fine dining!?! I also think its important to let loose now and again, life's far too short to worry about calories. We're healthy, kick ass surfer girls most of the time, but even we need a little blubber to keep us warm for British winter surfing!  

Any who that's enough excuses for one post. 

Wishlists for New Year dreamers...

My favorite time of year is actually New Years, something about being able to start again creates fertile ground for hopes and dreams. January is an excuse to possess renewed vigor for accomplishing aspirations and for creating some new ones, I feel that its important to reflect and wonder.  

(Now please do excuse the cheesiness of the next few lines...)

For Christmas I got a new dress with fancy buttons sewn on, on discovering a spare set of buttons I started philosophizing about how this relates a little bit to life...

(Hold on in there the cheesiness is nearly over). 

When things go wrong you fix, much like finding spare buttons on a favored piece of clothing, you always have the ability to mend, make do or improve. Its been fodder for my thinking, especially concerning this blog. 

Anybody else noticed the hypocrisy of RWHCS? Its a surfing blog without any surfing content! When I actually worked out the last time I went surfing I realized it was well over six months ago and more worryingly that I went once- ONCE in the entirety of 2012. This is not going to happen in 2013, its going to be a priority (along with getting a stable job, my own place, learning to drive, travelling when I can...ahem* ambitious much)!? 

So anyway here's a round up of my favorite pictures over the Christmas period. 

I currently live in the loft room of my parents house. The benefit being that I sleep under a window, this is one of the views I see lying on my bed :)

A Pre-Christmas get together with friends, I love this photo purely because of Antonio's face (middle) he so looks like he's lording it! 

This is Rosie, she lives far away from me but is one of the people I cherish in my life, when we catch up we literally don't move for hours!

Me and my sister Emily dressing up for Christmas day. 

Vegan vegetable soup with homemade croutons nom nom! 

My beautiful mother 

Dad doesn't do serious. 

This is Laura, beautiful sister number two! 

Jack the dog (not dead just exhausted from all the Christmas cheer/food). 

Appreciating a new Christmas present :) 

So tell me, what are your hopes and dreams for 2013? If you feel brave enough leave me a comment and we can start letting the world know what we hope to accomplish. Here are some of mine (there will be more there always is)! 

1)I want to have some control over my life, that means a job I feel proud of, independence and spirit. 

2)I want to surf. 

How about you?  

Mahalo. 

Merry Christmas!

Dear water babies, surf bums and land lubbers! 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for taking the time to read 'Real Women have curves and Surfboards,' throughout 2012, your support has been heartwarming and motivates me no end. 

Peace, Good Karma and all that jazz 
Love 
Sophia 

Cut + Stick

I've always been a cut + stick kind of girl. When things go wrong in my life, I make collages, I write lists and pen diary entries. If you could see my room you would look upon mural after mural of dreams, postcards and shells I've picked up from beaches I hope to live by. I've always dreamed vividly and had an imagination, I guess you could say its mental resuscitation. 

At this time of year, nearing the completion of one and the beginning of another, I get especially wistful. I've been feeling really inspired today (despite feeling a little ill) about my aims and aspirations for 2013. Now don't be too surprised but here's some surfing inspired stuff that's stoking the fire and instilling in me the belief that I really will make surfing a priority this year, (despite finances and living in the middle of England)! 

What I'm loving

<3 Kitten Cowboy - surf mom living the dream 
<3 Surfgirl on instagram 
<3 As ever The Mermaid Chronicles 
<3 Seea Spring 2013 
<3 Pitch Perfect 
<3 2 broke girls 

 

 

Seea Spring 2013 from The Seea on Vimeo.

When things go wrong...and why that's kind of OK.

I'm just going to put it out there I'm not a perfect girlfriend. Without fear of airing my dirty laundry in public (which I won't because details are what keep my life personal...but I will elude to for entertainment purposes), me and my man fellow are prone to the odd spat. 
We do however argue well, if one of us is aggrieved we discuss it until we're both bored of talking and usually always find a solution. If we don't find a solution we do something else, but hey we don't need to discuss that! 

My mother always talked openly about relationships being hard work (she's been married to my dad for over 25 years so she's got some authority on this subject)! She also stated that the success of a happy partnership is finding your best friend. 
When I started to notice guys (it took a while) I didn't wear my heart on my sleeve I wore my SOUL. Funnily enough that's the quickest way to get your heart broken! 

My greatest weakness is that I love too easily. 
My greatest strength is that I love too easily. 

I used to think that when you were in a relationship that person needed to be your all, your best friend, lover, entertainment, that they needed to encompass all your interests and hopes. I've learnt that in actuality one person shouldn't be your all. My career, my interests these are my own jewels that I keep to myself. Being different is actually a really great way to broaden your horizons and find some new interests. 

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”

The Prophet, Kahil Gibran 

I don't think you should ever be afraid to fall in love, its hard to renew yourself if it goes wrong but my gosh you learn some things about yourself! 

Stuff that's happened over an unspecified period of time...

1. I've worked as a museum guide.

2. I found three perfect jobs at three different zoos. I've   
   applied to all of them and have mild heart attacks when I 
   check my emails. Please let me get one of these jobs. 

3. Me and my fella argued over Chicago. Yup. True story. 

4. Me and my fella made up. And that's enough of that... 

5. I've fallen in love with the film Pitch Perfect. Fat Amy is my
   HERO!

6. I broke down on the motorway after a day trip to the Forest of
   Dean. It was rock and roll until the novelty wore off. 

7. I've started writing a fantasy novel after being inspired by a 
   white Stafford-shire bull terrier...no it makes no sense. 

Here are some pictures. 

Out with my Dad at my local woods. 

  

Can't for the life of me remember what was so funny.
Here with one of my best buds :) 

A sketch I've done for a friend. 

Don't be fooled they have no idea what they are doing.

My face is so purple from cold I had to make the picture black and white for your sake! 

At my favorite cafe with some of my favorite people.

Catch you later folks! 

Aesthetica

A friend of mine has recently invested in a bodacious amount of body art (a tattoo sleeve) which has really got me retrospectively thinking about my own aesthetic aspirations. 

My current style lies somewhere between: 

hippie chick//surfer girl//vintage darling. 

I enjoy fluctuating between the three as they all encompass aspects of my personality. The hippie chick costume mirrors my morals, I am liberal and deeply interested in environmentalism, the surfer girl captures my spirit of adventure and my dare devil attitude and the vintage attire represents my creativity and love of finding old treasures. 

A part of me has always wanted dreadlocks and lots of tattoos my current appearance being devoid of both. I often wonder whats stopped me up to now? With the job market being as unstable as it is, looking smart and sensible is no guarantee of getting a job anymore so why not go all out and dress how I really want to?? Truth be told if I seriously wanted dreads and tattoos I would have done it by now, my reservations I guess are founded in not truly knowing what I aspire too. 

The Pop up Bazaar Birmingham.

Normally I'm a little skeptical of vintage stores, they tend to charge inflated prices for garments you could easily find in a
charity shop for half the price and the money going to a better cause. Well  pessimism has never been my bag so I'm happy to be proven wrong in this instance. In Birmingham (UK) a little pop up bazaar has appeared in New Street which is absolutely brilliant. Moth balls and mustiness aside I've come across some really great pieces at seriously good prices. £15 for two dresses and some tops for as little as £5. I am always happy to find a bargain especially with the purse strings almost permanently tight. So for blogging purposes, I've done the posey poser thing and made a little fashion collage of my finds.
Sorry for the incredible vanity present on this page (and for another post which has NOTHING to do with surfing...)

1950's style parrot shirt £5! 
I absolutely love tropical birds and the yellow just reminds me of warmer temperatures.

(Above and Below)
Here are snapshots of the zebra dress I found. Its super cute and as I have a passion for all things African it fuels my obsession! 

(Mom is going to kill me for standing on that chair....)

Ignore the constipated expression I have on my face,
 I was trying my best 'serious model' pose. FAIL. 

This is the 1970's fabric up close. Unfortunately it is polyester 
so I'm likely to sweat profusely in it but hey at least it looks pretty!

I think if I had to pick a favorite this would be it. I'm not sure you can tell but its a dress and for a mere £7.50 I feel almost like I stole it!

My Beloved.

You may have noticed the number of posts this week has suddenly increased. While I'd like to hypothesis this is because I became suddenly a lot better with time management  in actuality I think it has rather a lot to do with the fact Antonio is away. My beloved is in Chicago doing his arty thing at the Glitch Festival. Whilst I'm loving my independence (i.e. not shaving my legs), I am kind of restless. Something isn't quite right in my universe, not having him around feels like I'm witnessing birds fly backwards. Now him and me are made of stronger stuff of course, we managed long distance for three whole months whilst I was working in Ethiopia, but even so this week feels agonizingly long. 

In my spare time I've caught up with friends, got a job in the museum (temp), drew nearly all of my gifts for people, cooked, shopped, ran, spent quality time with the family and ate - a lot. I also watched this darling film which has made me feel pretty emotional and even more desperate to go live out in the woods Thoreau style.

You can actually watch the entire film on youtube. 
Please do so its BEAUTIFUL. (p.s. You'll love Bruno the dog).


      













  


Among my boredom fueled internet surfing I also came across several gems. The following blogs are all about being vegan and travelling which has really inspired me to stick with my ethical diet. I've fallen off the band wagon of late either through ignorance or weakness but these sites have 100% inspired me to stick with the veganism - and the food looks AMAZING, they are proving that vegan food isn't cardboard, ugly or flavor-less. Enjoy!

The Vegan Backpacker

 

Will Travel for Vegan Food Project

Well have a lovely weekend my dears, wrap up warm and make sure you use the lip balm in this cold weather! 

Lots of love 

Sophia 

Hummingbird

Did you know that Hummingbirds are continuously hours away from starving to death? They are able to store just enough energy to survive overnight and are the only group of bird which can fly backwards! 

The Aztecs revered them as being talismans for vigor, propensity, energy and they were also thought to improve sexual potency. 

To me the busy hummingbird is a symbol that while our hearts beat we must live busily. Eat, love, rest, play do all that you can in  a lifespan - live because you are here. 

Some things that have happened... 

I made the photo black and white as I was so red with excitement having seen vegan baked goods!!

Camden is as cool as it looks, definitely a place for bohemians and fringe people. 

Finding beauty in the morning commute

A letter from one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. He's doing a mountain leadership course in Patagonia and has been living on an ice cap for the best part of a year. Makes me feel very boring indeed....

(Above/below) These books are like old friends, I've read them again cover to cover and am feeling utterly inspired to get back into conservation. 

  

Until next time dear readers, have a wonderful week and I'll catch up with you soon. 

Peace, good karma and all that jazz

love 

Sophia 

Zoologica Zine

Why hello there my dears, how the devil are you? 

So here's my latest zine for you - wildlife themed of course. It'll be a stocking filler for a few people this Christmas so don't be surprised if you receive a copy! Finances have been tight this year but to be honest I've relished the challenge of investing time and effort into gifts instead of money. 

Drawing animals again has brought out a childish joy in me, I forgot how much solace I get out of simply putting on some music and doodling as many different creatures as possible before my hand cramps! 

I was always teased in University for being a 'bunny hugger' (for the non wildlife conservation people let me explain, a bunny hugger is someone who is too emotional when doing conservation work), to be honest I never really minded, so what if I'm awed by animals, science is obviously very, very important but you can be scientific and still care.     


 I love drawing cheetahs, their coats are just so beautiful

 

 Page one

 Page two

 Page three

 Page  Four

 Page  Five

 Page Six

 It wouldn't be Christmas without a Penguin !   

Bits and Bobs

 

 

I was talking to an old friend of mine recently who revealed that she'd be getting some body art - a tattoo sleeve to be exact. The juxtaposition between her day job and this revelation was a source of amusement to me for hours - how rad! I love that she's taken the metaphorical bull by the horns and indulged in something so contrasting to her 9-5. It made me think that appearances can often be devieving and that our conduct is a far better measure of our character than the surface things we tend to cling to i.e. job status, salary, things.  

 

 

In light of this relfecting I came across

Jose Mujica the president of Uruguay. Not only is he a comitted vegetarian he also donates 90% of his salary to charity, shunning the politician's lifestyle to instead live on his wife's farm with their three legged dog Manuela. Rad.i.Cal.

 

 

Here's the article to be inspired by!

 

 

The World's 'poorest' President