The Selfish Surfer.

"Special agent Utah! This is not some job, flipping burgers at the local drive-in! Yes! - your surfboard bothers me! Yes! - your approach to this whole damn case bothers me! And yes! - YOU BOTHER ME!".

"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love." 

Point Break (1991) 

How selfish is a surfer? Dropping in on a wave is a cardinal sin in the world of surfing, but this isn't the kind of selfishness I'm talking about. No. I'm instead referring to the passion for surfing interrupting land based life. As a land locked surfer my ocean obsession is contained and very much compartmentalized to fit around my schedule and is restricted by my geographical shortcomings. I allocate time, but even so distance does not stop me disappearing off for ocean based frivolity at the drop of a hat, perhaps to the expense of my work and family.  

There is the stereotype surfer being a somewhat vacant, monosyllabic caricature (Bodhi anyone) and whilst I don't subscribe to this persona I do believe I have morphed into a blinkered surfer girl whose attention is focused on the next set rather than her immediate surroundings. Couple this with new found love and one could suggest I am an incredibly self centered beast at present. 

This post is largely inspired by recent events, you see, I let a friend down when she needed me and whilst my inaction wasn't malicious or intended my blissful ignorance hurt her none the less. It is a terrible thing to let someone down, I'd rather be punched than not be there for a friend. I feel particularly heinous about the whole incident, considering my job as a care worker involves being perceptive, looking for non verbal clues as to someones emotional well being and being compassionate. How did I get it so wrong in my personal life? 

I can't blame all my misdemeanors on surfing because that's shirking responsibility but I do think its shaped me an awful lot, particularly when I think that my choice of university was predominantly based on my proximity to a beach break, (as well as a great course I might add)! 

As much as surfing has saved my life and continues to be a massive source of inspiration I hope that I am able to strike a balance and continue to be there for my friends as well as getting board time. 

How does surfing affect your life? Are you too in flux trying to balance ocean love with land based life? Let me know I'm ever fascinated to learn about other surfers out there... 







































Until next time, 

Stay strong and surf well 
Love 

The Ocean at the end of your toes.

I surf well when my mind and body are fluid, when I lose myself in the action of surfing and I'm not over thinking the process. I know beforehand when I'm going to wipe out too, not just because a billowing monster is about to land on my head, but because my mind is elsewhere in those precious few seconds of focus before my board drops into the wave.

I've noticed when you over think things often they unravel, perhaps this is because you stop trusting your instincts and allow yourself to become too analytic.
Analysis in science is an integral part in proving or disapproving a theory in life, analysis allows us to decipher our next steps or reflect upon steps already taken. Sometimes though, I think over analysis is an environment for doubt, insecurity and self sabotage to exist. 

I say this because I am in a very good place in my life and I'm on the precipice of positive change (hopefully) so suddenly I have a lot too lose, or at least it feels like this. I'm also in a stable, blissfully happy relationship that is continually evolving into something meaningful. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again Happiness is terrifying. 

I often revert to Eastern philosophy to help stop me over thinking all the time, happiness much like the ocean is in constant flux, an ebb and flow. It is something which can never be controlled or captured it is better to just go with the flow and enjoy those few seconds of riding the wave. 

Weekend Sunshine. 

Here's a few snap shots of what I've been getting up too lately! 

I often have this reaction when in the vicinity of vintage.

Beautiful Adelle in the ever cool Oasis Market, Birmingham. 

A sneak peek of vintage items coming to the soon to be online store...

     


































































Bewdley, Worcestershire UK.

I spent a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon in the quaint town of Bewdley with the delectable Mr Sunny. There were antiques, farmers markets and yeah, you guessed it Vintage! A great day and highly recommended! 

This lady was incredible, she posed like this all day! 

Bargain dress which channels my 60's Bohemian desires! 

Mr Sunny is tentatively allowing me to put a few photos of us up, I'm glad because I love these shots! 

I can't remember why he felt the need to run but I love this shot, shows how cheeky he is! 

Mr Sunny was forced to pose for this photo hence why he looks a tad coerced, still gorge though! 

This was in Bewdley Museum and was all about the foundry there, definitely worth a ganders!   

     
























































































































































































































Until next time land lubbers and water babies! 

Stay strong and surf well 
Love

Practical Magic.

I'm post night shift so some of what I say may have an element of delirium about it, I do have a point and it will make sense however, so bear with me... Life at the moment is gloriously intertwining my two passions- Surf and vintage. 
In a matter of weeks I'll be off to Cape Town to go work on the Gap360 surf project which is a prospect I'm majorly excited about and under prepared for! In the meantime I'm at home building up my vintage collection, in the hope of eventually establishing an online boutique with my best friend Jemima.   

My other current obsession at the moment, is deciding what pet to have. Ardent follows of this blog will know that for a long time this was all about getting a dog. Well if I was eight years old I'd still be harping on about that, I am unfortunately 25 and fully aware of the level of responsibility. For now its on the back burner until I fully know my schedule at university, it would break my heart to leave a dog alone or day, or worse still have to re-home it. There's also my family dog Jack who is the apple of my eye, it would be unfair to force a puppy on him knowing his cantankerous nature. 

Instead I'm looking into a big cuddly bunny or a friendly parrot, something I can take with me to the care home and work as a therapy pet, as well as cuddling at home! 

Any who I'm digressing, today's title is in reference to a little craft project I have for you lovelies. Here are a few pics from Le life and then I'll get practical and show you how to upcycle a lamp, oh here it goes....

 I suddenly remembered I had this tea set, so yesterday waded through spiders the size of kittens to get it out of the shed again! This was purchased from Penrith farmers market back in the old university days ahhh memories. 

My hair typically is very low maintenance (let it grow, forget to brush it) but lately I've been trying the whole blow drying malarkey and I quite like the straight results. 

 I was walking the dog to go buy wine so a really classy outing for me here. The dress is another vintage treasure I recently found whilst rummaging in my fav shop. The filter I used on this picture totally doesn't do the vibrancy of the red justice...must try harder next time! 

I'm getting excited about going to Cape Town so found myself reminiscing last night about Africa. This is one my favorite photos I've ever taken. I was working as a yoga teacher in Ngor Island Surf camp, Senegal. Mammiko the little girl on the left I got to know through her mom Haddie and this is a traditional clothes day at nursery that I had the privilege of attending. How cute are they!?!   

How to upcycle a lamp!

You will need:- 
- 1 lamp 
- scrap material
- scissors 
- pencil & paper 
- tape measure
- ribbon
- buttons 
- felt  
- glue gun

1. Get down to your local charity shop and buy yourself a lamp. My fully functioning lamp was a mere £3.50! The material was all scrap from charity shops that cost a grand total of £2. 

 2. Depending on your lamp shade, measure the panels and decide what size squares of material you want to stick onto it. As you can see below I roughly gauged the size, which I first drew on paper as a template. Pin the paper to the material and start cutting. 

3. Warm up your glue gun and when ready start gluing the pieces onto the lamp. Its a steady process and sometimes the squares don't stick perfectly, persevere because it will look good eventually!

4. Now for the fun part! Start customizing at your own leisure, I stuck ribbon up the seams of the lamp and added everything from buttons to felt. If you want to add felt get creative and make shapes, it was ridiculously easy to draw a cat face and stick it on. 

                                                                 

5. Voila! Your very own shabby chic lamp. I gave this one as a present, which may seem cheeky when it only cost a grand total of £5.50 but this one of a kind and lovingly crafted, time not money people! 

Until next time...

Stay strong, surf well

Love

For there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes. 

― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

I was skeptical when I first heard Ricky Gervais had a new show about a man with learning difficulties. I thought the usually acerbic Gervais would take the subject of care within a nursing home and make fun of the people who call it their everyday life. 

I'm glad to say I was 100% wrong, Derek, is a sensitive and wonderful depiction of the ups and downs of a nursing home and Gervais plays a fantastic lead character (Derek). Being a care worker myself I'm not allowed to discuss the role greatly due to privacy issues, but I can elaborate about how I feel as a care worker. 

Much like surfing isn't just a hobby, care work isn't just a job. The people I have the privilege of working for get under your skin in a way which makes them feel like family. Its not professional to admit this but I don't see how you can possibly do a good job without working with your heart as well as your head. I wake up worrying about them, I spend my day trying to think of new ways of helping them live a life as individuals and my heart breaks every time someone gets ill or passes away. 

The care industry is a sinking ship, its undervalued, grossly under funded and vulnerable to abuse. I am often witness to the raised eyebrow expressions when I say what I do, the low wages and the nature of the job (I have to assist with personal care), seem to provoke feelings of revulsion in people. 

Don't feel sorry for me, I am the luckiest girl alive to do what I do. 

I consider it an honor to get up and go try to make someone else's day meaningful. Regardless of how tired I am or whats going on in my life I make it my mission to treat that person with respect and give them the dignity they deserve. Whilst the wages certainly don't reflect the level of responsibility I have during the day and the hours are ridiculously long (14 hours), I feel a great sense of accomplishment doing what I do. 

I need and appreciate my holidays but I never feel dread going into work (okay, some mornings I'd like a bit of extra time snuggling Mr Sunny but hey)! There are at times very frustrating aspects of the job- apathetic family members, budget cuts, the disrespect shown by passersby, but these are greatly outweighed by service users's smiles, walks in the park, day trips and the wonderful staff I work with. I think everybody should try for a time working in care either through volunteering or employment, its honestly the best education I've ever had.

Funnily enough quite a few surfers I have encountered are also care workers...correlation? 





[Above] Shift dress and bag are for sale in the up and coming online vintage boutique I'm establishing in collaboration with Jemima Stubbs Photography. 

Until next time, 

Stay strong and surf well 
Love

The Poor Surfer.

 Ever noticed how expensive surfing is when you don't live by the ocean? Alongside the problem of logistics there is also numerous pieces of equipment needed when the ocean you play in happens to be cold water. For a land locked surfer there are various fiscal challenges to overcome before a toe even steps onto plank. 

At the end of summer I'll ascend northwards to be a mere 20 minutes away from a beach break, thus cutting in half my travel expenses. I will however be a student at 25 years old, living independently off peanuts, there is a distinct lack of money being a student for the second time round and while I plan to work around my studies, things will be tight to say the least. 

Impending thrift has been the inspiration behind this post, as budgeting doesn't have to spell depressing nights in spent without heating, eating 1/4 of a tin of beans and saving the rest. 
The first time I went to university I was a budget goddess, I managed to save like it was a new trend and felt happy living off very little. 

Now I'm a full time earner (this is laughable when considering what the care industry thinks is adequate for a full time wage but oh well, that's a different story). I've been used to a disposable income so the transition to scrimping and saving is going to be felt but shouldn't be impossible. 

The act of surfing originated as a free recreation and can be significantly cost effective if you do the following. 

1. TRAVEL
If you live far from the ocean, car share, use megabus or find the unpopular train ticket times to save money on travel. 

2. SUITED AND BOOTED. 
Invest in a wetsuit. Even if you don't have a board, a good quality wetsuit is something you'll always need (if you surf in Britain) and will last you forever if you take good care of it. A wetsuit you can also fold into a suitcase and take on public transport. 

3. GOOD MORNING CAMPERS.
 What makes surfing expensive is the accommodation you use when your at the coast. If you go in a big group camping for several days can be a very cost effective way to live. Camp sites nowadays aren't literally just a piece of grass, often they have beautiful facilities, warm cafes and showers which don't make you shudder. Go be adventurous! 

4. PACKED LUNCH. 
Ok I admit lugging a bag full of food alongside, rucksacks, heavy wetsuits and whatever else you need on public transport isn't fun but its amazing how much money you save when you bring a packed lunch and a flask of tea. £3 here and there might not seem much but it does add up! 

5. BORROW & STEAL 
I'm not advocating theft but I do think you should pester your surfer friends to borrow boards or share one when you hire. When you make an effort to talk to the surf shop owners sometimes luck and cheek will allow you a few extra hours with a hire board at no extra cost. If you don't ask you don't know! 

In preparation for university I'm starting to immerse myself in thriftiness, my mantra being 

THRIFT RADIATES HAPPINESS. 

I've always loved charity shops and jumble sales but now I'm using them like supermarkets and trying to source pretty much everything from them (bar underwear and food)! The best bit of all being that my darling Mr Sunny has got bitten by the charity shop bug and was chuffed to purchase a gorgeous shirt for a mere £1! 

I LOVE vintage clothing and wanted to share with you a few pictures of recent purchases. 

 Ethel my new classic bike was a junk shop purchase for a mere £20 and the shirt I'm wearing was a hand me down from my mom. Sunglasses were free and the trousers are relics I've had for years, I can't even remember where I got them from! 

  Ahhhh what surfer doesn't love a Hawaiian print?! These trousers were a mere £3.95 from an age concern charity shop. I love them with the power of a thousand suns! 

 This outfit is actual an all in one dress separated by a belt, the dress was one of my pricier vintage buys at £15 but it transcends summer and winter (I'm wearing it with tights for a warmer look). The belt was another hand me down from Haus of Mom! 

I realize that there is nothing flattering about the jacket I'm wearing but I love it irrevocably! It kept me warm during the surf trip to Newquay and has that Woodstock vibe you know I adore. It was slightly pricier as it was from a dedicated vintage store but do you think you could get a quality well made jumper that would last several decades for a mere £10. I'm raking my brains too!! 

What this rambling post is trying to highlight is that budgeting needn't be a dour experience. Yes a few liberties will have to go but this doesn't mean poverty like those less fortunate experience in developing countries. I know I'm incredibly fortunate and my version of thrift is a very luxurious one at least. When I feel down about money I'm going to remind myself that its like water through your hands, it will come and go, sometimes it'll pool other times it will flow, the point being one shouldn't grasp at it. 

Do something for free like going for a walk, if you live by the ocean then go see that, you'll be amazed at how much joy can be sought using non or very little money. 

Stay strong surf well 
Love