After a long, loooong blogging holiday, I’m going to post again. goodness knows if I’ll manage to keep it up this time, but I’ve kind of missed it, and missed you lovely people.

Here’s the last six months of my life in six bullet points:

1. I took my a-levels. It was stressful but also, in a twisted way, a bit fun.
2. I turned eighteen and had a big party with tents, bunting, dressing up and dancing in the rain.
3. I went to france for three weeks, including a stop at Paris to catch the last day of the tour de france (I have NEVER screamed so loud. I was getting the most dirty looks from these americans and italians wearing louis vuitton pumps and carrying prada, but that didn’t stop me yelling at the top of my lungs ‘GO CAVENDISH GO COLUMBIA YOU’VE GOT THIRTY SECONDS HURRY UP COLUMBIAAAA.’) We also wandered round the Place Vendôme, and had dinner in Le Marais. Good to be home.
4. I worked a  lot and spent all my money on clothes and magazines
5. I went to split, croatia, with twelve friends. we stayed in two apartments. we cooked, went sight-seeing, took a trip to an island, wrote a brilliant journal, swam in the sea, drank cocktails and partied till five on the beach. It was really, really good.
6. I got three As and a distinction in my A-levels (I was so shocked I was numb for days, and the best reaction my family could get out of me when they asked if I was pleased was a sort of twisted grimace.) I’m going to Warwick! I’ve bought a laptop. I’ve got tea-towels, washing powder, forks; and I’m collecting recipes. I think I’m excited, but at the same time I’m so nervous you wouldn’t believe. My heart keeps going all thumpy and bumpy. Turns out i’m a hyperventilator.

I’ve got a BILLION photos to share with you, including some new polaroids. But for today I’ll warm up gently and do the links thing.

Looking for recipes I just stumbled over 101 cookbooks. Turns out the writer Heidi Swanson is a photographer too. Did you all know about her already?

Love you all!

 

 

Adieu tristesse
Bonjour tristesse
Tu es inscrite dans les lignes du plafond
Tu es inscrite dans les yeux que j’aime
Tu n’es pas tout a fait la misère
Car les lèvres les plus pauvres te dénoncent
Par un sourire
Bonjour tristesse
Amour des corps aimables
Puissance de l’amour
Dont l’amabilité surgit
Comme un monstre sans corps
Téte désappointée
Tristesse beau visage. 

- P. ÉLUARD
La vie immédiate

{image from here}

I am on my own in the house at the moment, Mum and Dad being away on holiday – and it is BRILL.  I can eat what I want, play the music I want, watch what TV I want.  Sure, the novelty wears off a bit when you have to do all the dishwashers and all the other million household jobs, and you can’t get lifts anywhere… but I’m looking on the bright side!

Today I went food shopping and bought all my favourite foods: veg for a stir-fry, kabanos, marshmallows, soya milk for lattes, pierogi… YUM.  It’s so nice going round the shops and just picking whatever you feel like. 

Now I’m going to have a bit of a go at my french coursework, then make my stir-fry, watch the end of my DVD (Elizabeth: The Golden Age – fanTAStic) and hopefully get an early night.

I’ll leave you with a bit of eye-candy to get you through the rest of the week:

Something about musicians, no?  Photo from here.

Well – everything is beginning to take shape… University and all.  Edinburgh said a resounding NO to the two courses I applied for there (both of which, by the way, I was overqualified for) but Warwick said yes.  I’m kind of chuffed because Warwick is known for being cutting edge and interesting – employers love you if you’ve got a degree there – and I was so worried that I’d really messed up in the interview.  So, I’m beginning to be excited!  I’ll have to work my socks off to get there though.  And there’s one down-side to the whole thing: the campus is a concrete hole, in the middle of nowhere.  I’m going to be spending three years in an environment which is totally visually uninspiring, surrounded by students the whole time.  Oh well!  I can cope!  Nearby is Warwick, of course, and that has a lovely castle – and Stratford is about half an hour away – brilliant!  Warwick’s links with RSC are good, so I’d get to watch top plays for a fiver.

Here is today’s inspiration – because it was fantastically, beautifully sunny and Springish:

These are all by Yvette Inufio.  Gorgeous, aren’t they?

I love love love these sexy black-and-white photos by Bruce Davidson:

They’re documenting a Brooklyn gang in the late ’50s.  Very cool indeed, in my humble opinion.

It’s time for a picture of flowers.  I love the fresh and joyous colours of this one by Sara Norris:

Now, a while ago the rather wonderful tigermilk gave me an award.  What a lovely surprise!

Here is is:

And these are the rules attached:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

So without further ado, these are my ten, my fabulous ten.  

a vintage sunday 
tender letters 
gris-bleu 
cannelle et vanille
starflower and indigo 
the unicorn diaries 
black eiffel 
unruly things 
tiny.k 
camilla engman

They are all blogs that I should definitely check more often than I do.  So should you all!

Hope you gorgeous folk are having a great weekend!

{via polaroid.net}

Last weekend, my brother roped in the other Fletcher men to give him a hand putting in a new sink and work surfaces in their kitchen (it is, by the way, a BEAST of a sink.  You could bath the Elf in it.)  To commemorate the gathering of four generations, Elise got the polaroid out.  She took three, one for each of the families.  Aren’t they just wonderful?  They make me glow with pride!

Oh I want to travel the world.  Starting with Paris.  I miss it.

Hi there, this is Rach from The Mayfly! Wasn’t yesterday’s post brilliant? Nice one, Sophie!

It’s so exciting to be here, but I have to confess, I haven’t planned this very well. As a result, this is a little last minute, but here are a set of portraits of a few good friends for you to (hopefully!) enjoy. If all goes to plan, I should have another post for you on Thursday. See you all soon!