Little Gif.

I meant to share this when I wrote my mammoth post about our Bank Holiday trip to Northern Ireland but a couple of the other .gifs I made didn't upload so I forgot about it, moved on and thought that just one on it's own wouldn't fit.

You know when you scroll through your digital camera super-fast, it's kind of fun when there are a few pictures that are similar but show different facial expressions or actions? Just me? Well, Moon snapped a zillion of me while we were queuing for Carrick-A-Rede without realising it was zoomed in. It was meant to be a picture with a nice background but I quite enjoy how happy and massive my face is.

New Do.

I probably picked the most miserable day to do it, but it's one of just two free days I have left before heading off to Turkey on Friday and I was in desperate need of a chop. It's been almost a whole year since I cut my hair last, there are a few reasons why but it's done. I've found a nice hairdressers too, I'm so pleased with how it looks and at such a reasonable price too. I think it's far too perfectly styled a cut for me though so I'll probably do it a bit different from this once I've done it myself.




I wish I'd been a bit more adventurous as it feels like I've had the same hair cut for around ten years, which apart from a few exceptions, I basically have. I'm making a promise to myself to make a bigger change the next time I go, now probably would have been as good a time as any but I wasn't quite ready to take the plunge. At least now, I have slightly lighter hair that's better suited to a hot country, someone should definitely get to telling England that it's July, so glad to be going away.

Moon cooked us a curry tonight, it was tasty, I'm so full I almost can't move.

Christmas Wishlist 001

With only 21 sleeps left until Christmas and the usual barrage of 'what do you wants', I've decided this would be a good place for reference for when I do get asked or if people want to have a look. Despite being quite a selfish person, I also love giving so I'm having my own fun sorting out other people's presents. I don't want to risk buying things for myself with Christmas coming up and I don't want to spend money on myself when I want to buy for other people.

Here are some things I spotted today that I would like, not sure if I will carry it on but now I am unemployed again it's likely I'll be spending more than enough time on my computer looking for jobs/window shopping. I think it might also help out my boyfriend a bit as for some reason he's had a lapse in his own judgement and doesn't trust himself to know me, despite us having 5 successful Christmases under our belts.


All New Look.
I'd basically like some things to keep me warm because I'm a lot colder than normal with the seasonal change, even with cardigans, sweater vests and coats. Brrrr!
Chunky Striped Jumper
Block Stripe Jumper
Spot Ankle Leggings
Annie Floral Hooded Jacket

(via 27 Kodak Moments)

Geek Girls Unite — I saw this book in Rough Trade last weekend and it looks like a really good read, maybe I'll try and make it the last book I buy before I get my own place/at least a book shelf, I should get around to reading everything properly too.
52 Photographic Projects — This book looks like a lot of fun and I'm really on the search for some new technical ideas and fun things to do with my camera.


Models Own Beetlejuice Collection


Panda egg cup
1990's Colouring Book


2012 Animal Calendar

680.

Can't quite believe that it's already 2nd December, I didn't do anything productive today, I was thinking about it but then it was really cold and it got too late.
I uploaded some photos onto Alamy for assessment but they got rejected by quality-control, which bothers the hell out of me because having frequented Alamy for the last month, the images I posted were to a high standard in terms of image content, not sure why it matters that they're not 3million pixels wide... maybe I'm just in a silly mood.

I'm very much in the mood for doing nothing, the weather definitely nods towards duvet days and warm drinks with cats. Here are some nice things I've saved up from around the internet for the last week. This weeks theme kind of surrounds things that I might want for Christmas, but is also a bit arty, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the 'research' side of my degree so I've some how absent-mindedly found stuff, some I know from before, others I didn't.

(via MSNBC Today)

Check out the links below to find out more about the Little Printer.

(via Seams and Stiches)

Bound - Cotton wrapped deceased oak, Meadow Arts Commission (2009).
Series by Philippa Lawrence reflecting the contrast of man-made aesthetics to the natural, the images themselves are beautiful but it would be great to see one. Much better than the less than impressive yarn bomb I saw in Brick Lane last weekend.

Rabbit origami pin - Hug A Porcupine

I've seen these floating around eBay for a while, too adorable.

No matter how often I come across Boo Ritson's work, I'm always excited and surprised, I love how playful the images are as well as deceptive, giving the viewer a need to take a second look.

(via Anders Sandberg)

23 Pairs - Andrea Duncan.
I saw this at the Wellcome Collection last week, it was maybe one of the only images that I liked. It's a representation of the 23 genomes that make up chromosomes as socks, demonstrating the individuality of humans, shot in a scientific, deadpan style.

(via PetaPixel).

Camel/orange Dolly coat - Dorothy Perkins

I kind of feel bad for wanting a new coat considering my current one is fine and has served me so well, but I think I'd like to look a bit smarter and maybe older, and these colours are so nice. I'm also finding myself eyeing up parkas, ones with fleece inside, they looks so warm!

(via Little White Lies)

I definitely have enough t-shirts.

Link lovin'.
Maiden — Amazing gift shop in Shoreditch High Street which I've been wittering on about for over a week. There is a lot more available in-store but their online store is just as bangin', check it out.
Hello Little Printer — Article about the upcoming 'Little Printer' from design consultancy, BERG. I wonder what the price will be like, it's such a cute idea, but sadly I feel that it might have a touch of the Polaroid PoGo's about it.
Christmas Window Displays — I'm a sucker for a cracking window display and I also happen to love Christmas, so thanks Marie Clair for marrying the two ♥.
Seams and Stitches — Sometimes I get a bit sad when I find a Wordpress blog, but that's why Bloglovin' is so useful. I have that now by the way (plug). I found this blog while searching for Boo Ritson images, but there are regular arty, inspirational posts and I like they way that it's written.
Scenes of Mall Madness '89 — Late 80's fashion inspiration. Unf.

What I'm listening to.
This week I've been rekindling my love for 'classic' Maccabees songs and finding some 'new to me' music.

As for my two cents on The Maccabees latest album teaser, sadly I'm not fangirling over it, as nice as their re-arranged compositions are, I was only impressed by a couple scenes within the short film, which the guys put together with filmmakers Charlie & Joe, visually it was nothing that really wowed me, sorry guys. But it's exciting that their release date is soon:
02 January — 'Pelican', single.
09 January — 'Given to the Wild', album
You can view the Given to the Wild short film on Drowned in Sound.

Sorry that this has so much in one place, it's been a while, I'll try harder next time when I'm less distracted.

Latest shoot.

So I spent a couple of hours this afternoon colour co-ordinating my wardobe, I'm not sure why but I kind of think it reflects the kind of person I would really like to be at the same time. It's just a shame that I'm not and I'm still living in a student house. Things will be different when I have my own house, so I did the best I could with that idea. I think I'm going to stop shooting and thinking about shooting anything until Wednesday, so I can get some real research under my belt and I can figure out what I'm doing.
The weekend was a nice break and I thought I could come back to it a fresh but I'm more panicked and stressed out than ever. I feel like my technical ability is really letting me down and I'm back to AS Level, which is ridiculous because I haven't got to 2:1 3rd year without being fairly competent.
I'm probably just crazy-nervous about finishing and it all being over.





Maybe I need to severely Photoshop them to make them interesting or something, I don't know, I'm not sure that I really like anything that I'm even imagining right now. Forced creativity is so balls.
As well as those photos I also experimented with some different lighting and took a few self-portraits, I quite like some of them even if my skin is a bit rough. I particularly like the yellow-red-blue one, it kind ofmakes me look like an owl.

© Ruth Johnston 2011.

I think reading will definitely help, and getting the hell off Tumblr every now and then. Urgh. I basically need a hell of a lot of advice, and I'm too scared to show my work in front of everyone tomorrow because I'm an idiot.
Oh and here are two Polaroids I took, I'm really trying to channel something extraordinary and struggling to come to terms with the fact that I'm pretty ordinary. Sorry for going a bit emo.

I've got to start thinking.

How exactly do I feel about being half-Chinese, I've asked so many people now and have had so many different answers to think about, I'm not sure where I should start. I feel completely different to how I did when I started the project.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I guess you could say I'm happy to be half-Chinese and to have something different about me, but I remember being very unhappy about it too. It can get annoying when people ask, "where are you from?", when I already know that what they really mean is, "where are your parents from?". When I say that my mum is Chinese, which is all they really want to know, I am then asked whether I can speak it, when I say, "No, but I can understand quite a lot", I'm met with a disappointed "oh", as though I'm the only person in the world who never learnt Chinese! I have been picked on, and even singled out by people in the street because of the way I look, but there's nothing I can do about it, and considering it's been this way since I can remember, all I can do is be used to it. I began this project as a way to find common ground and meet other half-Chinese people. I wanted to see if there were others who felt like me, although there have been some differing opinions, I think there is an amount of pride over our moderate exoticism.

I am happy to have never had a problem fitting in with my family like some of my other subjects, although I am closer to my Irish/English side, I think this is due to seeing them more often from a young age rather than exclusion from my Chinese side. It can get frustrating when attending Chinese family functions where my English-speaking cousins speak Chinese to each other and that aspect does feel like I'm being excluded, but maybe I should make more effort to talk to them generally anyway. Before moving away to University I always assumed my mum was strict with me due to her 'traditional values' but have since discovered that nearly all mothers are like her in the sense of nagging and worrying, and we're much closer now, even if the language barrier can get in the way of our relationship sometimes - we have had huge fights based on lack of understanding.

Due to the fact that this is how I am and how I will always be, it is quite clear that there are going to be mild irritations as there would be if I were a 'single-raced' or other 'mixed race' person. Although there are certain things that happen because I am half-Chinese, I now know to use them to learn rather than become resentful. I am definitely more comfortable with talking about it now than I was when I was younger and had less of an understanding.

S'all me, me, me!

I did my makeup a bit differently a couple of days ago, I think it's a nice nighttime look.

Here is a photo of me looking fat and enjoying some gummy teeth, it never ever fails to crack me up.

Moon is down in Devon for a couple of days so I feel like I've not got anything to do, but this time next week I'll be packed and ready to move back down to Portsmouth, so I imagine the first half of next week, even if it will probably be spent without Moon, will be pretty hectic.

© Ruth Johnston 2010.