My Beloved Book - The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer

Anybody that knows me can vouch for the fact that I do not come across as someone that loves to climb, but after I was recently lent Harrer's wonderful (I'm not sure if that is the right word) book, I have felt a shift in my life. In many ways The White Spider can be a life changing book, it is what sparked Joe Simpson's love of mountains, but more than that it inspires life. Scaling vast mountains is very often incredibly dangerous, and Harrer's writing really unpicks a climber's mind, so others can understand that what drives them to attempt such huge feats.
Death and success sit side by side in The White Spider, as tragedy and triumph are acknowledged in equal measure. The perils that face even the modern climber on the North Face of the Eiger are all depicted, but so are the great stories of man overcoming adversity. Some of the best tales are not of completing the climb but of rescue missions that saved lives, and what a man can do when one of his comrades is in danger.
For me, The White Spider is not a scary or gruesome tale of woe, it is an epic that repeatedly demonstrates the power of man. After reading it I feel a step closer to understanding why people put their life in the hands of a single rope, and why they pursue with great determination names on maps. These people are not overtly pulled towards danger. The true climber is drawn towards life and the pursuit of purity.

My Beloved Drink - Healey's Pear Rattler

Cyder always holds a special place in my heart, I blame it being from the South West of England! It always reminds me of effortless summers and being young, innocent, and dancing like a crazy person. But the best cyder for me is Pear Rattle - it has a sweet twinge that makes it very drinkable. It also holds the best memories for me, the highlight being sunsets over the Isles of Scilly, that make it all that more special. Sadly you can only really get it in the South West, so I have to stock pile it when I go to Uni. But whenever I am lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle, I always savour it, and am transported back to the beach.

My Beloved Shoe - Isabel Marant

These red courts are so chic - they go with jeans, a simple white tank and black handbag for simple day time cool, but also work perfectly with a LBD (although I should emphasise that it shouldn't be busy, and should be short so the pop of red from these shoes REALLY stands out!). They may be from a few seasons ago, but with their classic bow and eye catching shade they will be around for a while yet!

My Beloved Book - The Catwalk Cats by Grace Coddington

I love the look of this book, and Grace Coddington is a genius! I miss my own cat terribly, but I know she would have loved this : ) I always think she was a Chanel cat with her monochrome coat - a very stylish cat.

I love that Coddington has a sense of humour and that comedy can be added to the fashion industry, without it being tacky. Instead humour in the fashion world becomes effortless and elegant, I think only Coddington can pull that off.

My Beloved Video - Leave a Message Trailer, Nike 6.0

Why I want to be at the beach :)

Part 2 - so I can have fun adventures and relax!

My Beloved Video - The Next Time, Pret-A-Surfer HD

Why I want to be at the beach : )
Part 1- So I can have a reason to wear these fabulous clothes!

My Beloved Shoes - Asos Bow

Just saw these on the Vogue website today, and may have to invest in them (only £45)! They are so pretty, and not too a la Louis Vuitton to be copies. Also the low block heel allows me to run away from the ball back to my humble abode when the clock strikes 12. 

photo from Vogue.com

My Beloved Song - Lover's Carvings(Cut) by Bibio

This is the song from the Amazon Kindle advert! Everytime it comes on the tv I want to bob around and sing along :) It is actually abit longer, but I personally like the cut version.

My Beloved Perfume- Coco Mademoiselle

I have used it since I was 13, and I still love it (although Marc Jacob's Lola, and Daisy do feature in my fragrance collection). It is just so classy, and feminine but also fresh and different. I just saw the most recent Keira Knightley advert and the way she is and how she handles herself always seems to sum up the fragrence for me. Also the soundtrack for the first advert she shot, 'LOVE' by Joss Stone, is just so romantic!

photo from wikipedia

My Beloved Video - Vogue Paris October 2010 (Natasha Poly, Anja Rubik & Isa...

Love the clothes, and this song is stuck in my head now!

My Beloved Poem - I am not I by Juan Ramon Jimenez

I am not I.
               I am this one
walking beside me whom I do not see,
whom at times I manage to visit,
and whom at other times I forget;
the one who remains silent while I talk,
the one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,
the one who takes a walk when I am indoors,
the one who will remain standing when I die.

By Juan Ramon Jimenez

A poem about love that makes me smile, and seems different from all the other lovey dovey poems out their. More special and real. I analyse poems everyday but this one I don't want to disect, I just want to enjoy it.

My Beloved Shoes - Salt Water Sandals from Toast

These shoes are so prefectly suited to summer. My friend has them and every time I see them I want to steal them a tiny bit : ) Not only do they go really well with jeans and pretty tea dresses, but you can wear them when you paddle in the sea!! Also love the vintage, old school vibe they have going on, which fits perfectly with my 1950's summer dress.  

My Beloved Royal Wedding Memorabilia - Cath Kidston Mug

As royal wedding fever starts to hit England, the intensity of products celebrating the occasion is starting to gain momentum. Some of it is truly hidious and tacky, but I am actually thinking of investing in this mug by Cath Kidston. the illustration is cute and differnt from lots of this other photograph plastered things that are popping up in the shops. It is only £10, and will always remind me what I was doing on the 29th April 2011. 

My Beloved Cafe - Patisserie Valerie

I am actually in love with the cakes from Parisserie Valerie. My favourite is the Raspberry Tart, as it has a slightly crunchy pastry with sweet custard centre and perfect raspberries (my absolute favourite fruit), but I have been known to also enjoy the Apple Tart and Mille-Feuille - not at the same time! A branch of the cafe recently opened in Bath and I often have to fight the urge not to go in and indulge. Instead I have decided to have a change pot and save up for one of their special large cakes, such as the one pictured below.

Delicious!

My Beloved Nail Varnish - OPI Mad as a Hatter

I don't think they sell this anymore as it was produced for the release of the Alice in Wonderland film, but it is just such an amazing nail varnish. I love glitter, and this is PURE glitter - a magpie would explode if it saw it! I got it when it came out and it is just so colourful and goes with everything so I never want to stop wearing it. I'm sure other brands do similar colours but the ration of the glitter in this is so intense that it really can't be beaten.  The only problem I find is getting it off, as it is so rough that it works like sandpaper on any cotton wool pads, but this is a small price to pay for fun!

My Beloved Book - Rivers by Griff Rhys Jones

I recently went to see Griff Rhys Jones do a talk at the Bath Lit Festival, and so I had the opportunity to meet him afterwards I brought a copy of his book ‘Rivers’. I admit now that I am a fan of his programmes but hadn't actually read his books. The night before I forced my friends to watch his programme, so they could appreciate his genius as I did (they said it was 'very good', but this may have been to shut me up).

The talk he gave was really interesting, but also funny and light-hearted, although for me the main purpose of the evening was to meet him after. I hesitated to go up to the table, but after a firm push from my friend I found myself in front of him. What followed was thoroughly embarrassing. I won't go into details, but I could have played it a little cooler.

When I got home, I decided after the fun evening I had had I was defiantly going to read his book. I am used to reading books that give you headaches, so I was very pleased to read something that educated me but in an entertaining way, and actually caused me to laugh out loud. When I got to the end I had that thoroughly cliché feeling of not wanting it to end, but I can honestly say that even on my tight student budget I immediately found a way to afford his another of his books, 'Mountain'. 'Rivers' is a really entertaining read; it made me appreciate the rivers that decorate the English countryside, and also raised some important questions, but all was constantly infused his humour so it never felt preachy. Most importantly it sparked my passion for travelling and exploring, but reminded me that you don't have to go so far afield for a good old adventure.