'Young Colossus' - Young Colossus.

Young Colossus is a six track side-track EP, put together by Orlando Weeks, compiled in a book with illustrations by Robert Hunter with additional vocals from Alessi Laurent-Marks from Alessi's Ark.

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I was really willing this to be good, because I rarely make the leap and and buy physical copies of music, firstly because I don't have the space and secondly because nothing much happens to it once I've put it on to my computer anyway. However, Young Colossus' book-form had great appeal and there are some really neat pictures on the inside that complement the theme of the EP basically perfectly.


I'll be honest and say I was unsure about it once I was two tracks in, but I'm currently on my third listen and I'm getting around that. This EP is much more about story-telling and linking back to the visuals than any previous track from The Maccabees that I've heard. In fact, it's almost nothing like The Maccabees, with Orlando weeks' recognisable vocal only really being heard on a few occasions throughout. Effects have been added though so although he's hiding, he's still very much present, not only in the vocals but particularly in the form of the lyrics and composition.

I'm really enjoying this little EP, and it's a genuine treat for both my eyes and ears, which is what I hoped it would be. Despite it being quite 'un-Maccabees' I don't think it's one to turn your nose up at as a Maccabees fan and with a limited edition of just 1,500 copies, it's something to be snapped up fast. It also smells amazing, there's some serious paper going on, if you're into that sort of thing. I think my favourite track is 'Monsters Dance' because it's a bit odd, closely followed by 'Sound of Young Lost and Found' because it's so dainty and eerie.

I thought this was a neat touch. On the back of the envelope the EP came in was a 'Young Colossus' stamp. It must be Orlando's new thing because during The Maccabees' January and February tour, stamps dedicated to each tour date appeared, sometimes directly relating to the destination, sometimes relating to something/someone from there.

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What I think of NME is neither here nor there, but they've put together a nice little piece with slightly more information which you can have a look at here.
The Young Colossus website
Follow Young Colossus on Twitter

Straight up.

Just about to get back to painting my chest (it's a wooden chest, not my actual chest), but I thought to save having clutter later and share this critter with you.


I did a terrible, 'typical me' thing and just roughly followed the instructions, so was super worried that he would turn out looking like nothing, but I'm glad he at least looks a bit like a foxy fox. Perhaps not as foxy as Elsie's family of foxes, which is where I got the tutorial from. I don't even know why I didn't follow it exactly, would have saved me a bit of anxiety (not that I haven't got enough to go around) and it's very simple and easy to follow.

This was the part where I started to get worried that things might not turn out how I wanted them to...



May or may not had to perform a bit of a bodge-job on his poor old nose as the nose I'd bought had a weird back that was too long to just sew on, there's probably a way around that though, tips would be greatly appreciated.


This is from a patchwork set that I got for just £1, mega props to Fabric Land for that one. ♥


I had so many perfectly posed moments that I could have captured but she got very quickly distracted by the reflection of my watch and started going crazy. I think she approves though, as she hasn't yet tried to maul him yet.

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Maybe he is a bit rough around the edges, and a bit fat, but I kind of like him. He was a great excuse to use up extra fabric (and buy some more), so I'm really pleased with him.
Now it's back to painting, but more on that later.

What do you think of my take on A Beautiful Mess' foxy fox? Have you been up to anything crafy recently?

While boys play with toys...

In Cornwall and kind of but not really watching Long and Moon play Xbox, less than exciting. Just discovered my typing speed is very much solidly between 70-80wpm at 74wpm, so I may be eligible to earn some cash as a temporary typist for the next few weeks, which will be nice.

I've found a few things to share with you, also thought this would be a good time to tell you that I'm putting together a video diary of sorts for this trip, I think I have some nice footage so far. It will be first time I've really put my SLR's filming capabilities to the test so let's see how it comes together, I'm hoping I'll be able to upload it somewhere that doesn't tear apart quality.
Hope that you're getting used to the combination of wish-list and nice things! ♥

Although perhaps an unlikely X Factor fan, I am an X Factor fan nonetheless. I really like this cute series by photographer, Idil Sukan from when Olly Murs performed with The Muppets on the show. Did I mention I'm also a huge Muppets fan?

(via Kate Moross)

No. Yeah? Protest Poster, Urban Outfitters, £10
House display shelf, Urban Outfitters, £65
Love this blunt 'protest poster', I do have to take a step back though as it is somewhat tainted by the 'mass uniqueness' that comes with Urban Outfitters, not to mention the overpricing.

(via Fried Okra)

I can't wait to have the time, money and space to do projects like this.

Currently loving all things ModCloth, for once everything is mostly my thing and mostly in my price range.
I miss autumn, it was so much kinder than winter, especially Cornish winter.
Pumpkin Chocolate Bar Jacket, ModCloth, $82.99
Mild Meets Wild Coat, ModCloth, $64.99

The socks remind me of my dog socks.
True Colorblock Tights, ModCloth, $23.99
Kindred Soles Socks in Intern, ModCloth, $7.99

Haven't found a dress that I was really into in ages, but this one's lovely and super-girly ♥
Winning Streak Dress, ModCloth, $72.99

Nice Links:
ModCloth's Apartment Section — Kitschy, cute homewarey goodness. ♥
List of the Best Font websites — via CreativePool.co.uk
The Tea Appreciation Society — Lovely society website with a wonderful online shop featuring 'I 'heart' Tea' t-shirts and other exciting things, they're currently offering 20% off with the voucher code: GOODSTUFF.

The Seal Sanctuary was bangin', looking forward to looking back on and editing the photos that I've taken so far and surprisingly looking forward to recomposing my portfolio, since harddrive recovery was a bust. After 9 hours everything was called fl578o96 or something to that effect and half of the files were corrupted. Photos were only 60KB max and also only managed to really recover all of Arrested Development and files named from M-T, maybe I wasn't patient enough, but there must be an easier way. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Today I have drunk a lot of tea and made a barman sad for ordering tea instead of cider or beer, I'm so cold!

Dry the River, The Cricketers.

Last night Moon and I went to see Dry the River for the third time in six months. Either this is a demonstration of my loyalty to Moon and his fanboyism, or a demonstration of my own fangirlism towards them, you decide. They were amazing, the venue was lovely, might have been teaming with hipsters but it was worth it to hear Peter Liddle's beautiful voice.

Here are some photos I took, they are black and white because otherwise they would mainly be yellow.

The support was a nice girl called Lucy Rose, she has her own CD and website and everything, you should go and listen to her.

I know that it's a rubbish as hell photo, but I had to share this guy with you. He was at the gig, eating salad, and not just a little bit of salad, a whole fruitbowl's worth of salad. They make them differently here in 'not quite London'.

Do I think we'll see them again before the year is out? Who knows, they're a really hard working band. They're new single 'Weights and Measures' is out now and it is very good (but it sounds better in real life).


Dry the River official website
Follow Dry the River on Twitter
Download 'Weights and Measures' from iTunes

A bit more hearting.

♥ *derp
Doing a bit of link saving, and this has been a pretty good day for finding stuff, despite some how spending a lot of today in leaves and outdoors.
Moon's currently completely disengaged with me and watching the football so I thought that now was as good a time as any to write this.

There are too many nice bags everywhere, and just after I bought this great one, which I also love, owhhh the perils of having an unsatisfactory bank balance.

(via The Dainty Squid)

She's Got Purseonality Bag - ModCloth, $59.99
I think that there might me too much novelty to this bag for me because I have a tendency to get bored, but it's so readily available and fairly reasonably priced, and it's face(!)

Eye Clock - Lazy Oaf, £20.50
Lazy Oaf make the cutest things, they have a great blog and I'm definitely popping to their pop-up Christmas shop when the event rolls around on the 26th. They also have great bags, of which I want all.

Happy Socks Split Dots Pink Socks - Lazy Oaf, £8
Well, I said I was loving Lazy Oaf, I'm really into cute socks rn as well. Kind of getting bored of Primark-standard, and these would look so nice poking out the top of my boots.

Rubik's Cube Mug - Urban Outfitters, £12
Now, I love a fun mug as much as the next person, but I really am beginning to think that Urban Outfitters are missing it when it comes to prices. Topshop has the same problem, I can't afford anything, or at the very least, justify a tiny one-off purchase. While browsing UO's latest offering of Christmas stocking fillers I came across a 'new' Gameboy Original for £80 (EIGHTY)! I mean £12 for a mug is one thing, it might be an unbreakable mug or something, but how old is the Gameboy again exactly? Surely even the hippest of hipsters isn't that stupid, I guess they could make a necklace out of it or something...

(via HelloAntonia)

I was a bit torn while watching last week's Pier's Morgan's Life Stories, because it meant enduring Piers Morgan. However, pushing on did mean that I absorbed a bit of how wonderful Rolf Harris is and remembered how much I might have loved him as a child. I might have even downloaded an album, and even paid for it, or not, but maybe, definitely...

(via Rolf Harris Entertainer)

I didn't really intend to post this, I have some fun photos to show you so I promise things will get a bit more visual soon.

Graduation.

I honestly don't know what I was so panicky about, yesterday was absolutely brilliant. I can now officially say that I'm a graduate, despite not actually receiving anything, to the disappointment of two random Asian men that approached me when I was heading over to hand my robes back.
Despite the nerves, it was such a happy, fun day. Moon was still a bit sick, but we've got some lovely photos, it was odd being the focus of so many other people's cameras, it was like being famous for the day.

Flickr set










So, aside from my actual certificate (which is in the post), I'm 100% a graduate now, I've shaken people's hands to prove it and everything.

Glastonbury 2011 Video Diary.

I'm waiting for a few of the nails that I messed up last night to dry from being re-done so now seems like as appropriate time as any to post my video diary/documentary of Glastonbury 2011. It's just that you know, I might be a bit busy later.. can't think why. I already felt bad that Twitter got the link first.

So if you have a spare 50 minutes, although I'd be perfectly happy for you to watch it in bits, I recommend you watch it. Particularly if you like me, it could be argued to be a bit self-indulgent, but you didn't make one so... Enjoy!

Glastonbury 2011 - The experience and the vibes. from Ruth Johnston on Vimeo.
Once again, if you want to be a creep and watch me graduate, you can go to this link at around 2:30 this afternoon.

From Moon's birthday.

It was Moon's birthday on Wednesday, it was a pretty unexciting day, I mean 22 isn't exactly a big birthday. So I gave him his presents and he was out at Uni for most of the day. Then in the evening we went to Harvester for dinner with the house and Gabriella. It was fine, but we spent a lot of the time complaining because the service was terrible, even to get the bill and it took an hour for us to get a table after being told it would only take half that time. If they had been honest, we would have taken our business elsewhere and probably had a more energetic night.

But here are the obligatory photos of Moon blowing out his birthday cake. I baked the cake, it had chocolate chips and broken up bits of Oreo in it and was orange flavoured, pretty tasty.

© Ruth Johnston 2011.