Tuesday

101 in 1001 VI

This has been a great month for my 101 in 1001 list. It started on the very first day, so I got off to a really good start. 

#9: Sponsor a lovely blog
The Pineneedle Collective is one of my favourite blogs. Annika is an absolute doll- smart, funny and darn cute too! It makes me very happy to be able to support her and show my appreciation for her lovely blog. 

#43: Buy a collection of art books
I've bought a fair few art books this month! Mostly because of the exhibitions I went to. I just can't resist buying the exhibition catalogue for every one I visit, even in the case of Lichtenstein, which I didn't like so much! 

#57 See all the exhibitions on my list
I went to see two exhibitions this month- Lichtenstein: A Retrospective at Tate Modern, and Light Show at the Hayward Gallery. Light Show was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately it has finished now, but I'll be keeping an eye on future shows at the Hayward Gallery. 

#78 Read 14 books
I'm very shortly going to have to raise this target. I've now read 10 books this year and still have another 11 months to go until I reach my 1001 days! These are the books I've read during April- Keep an eye out for the reviews. 

#82 Watch the backlog of films downloaded
This month, after finishing the book of The Virgin Suicides, I watched the film. It's really beautifully shot. Rich thought it was slow-moving, and I suppose it was, but I like that as I don't have the concentration to keep up with fast action. 
We also watched The Iron Lady which is absolutely beautiful aesthetically and quite heartbreaking too. 
Edit: Coincidentally, I watched this film, and added the photo to this post, the day before Margaret Thatcher died. I'm not about to get into the politics of the matter after everything that's been said over the last couple of weeks, but I really did love the film.
After reading One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, I decided to watch the film. The ending is truly beautiful. 
I can't believe how many films I've watched this month! I loved The History Boys. It completely knocked the breath out of me. Beautiful! 

#83: Visit the Vogue Festival
I so nearly didn't make it, but I did! Phew! 

Word of April Review



























Ok, so I've only been doing Words of the Month for two months now, but this one was definitely my favourite! I have to admit, I did a pretty good job too!


1. Publish two outfit posts per week
I did this! I actually published more sometimes too! 

2. Take the Diana camera out once a week
I got it into my head that my goal was to take 4 photos a week, although this wasn't what I wrote down. I managed to take more than 4 photos each week, and now I have three rolls of film to be developed! As soon as I receive them, I'll post them up for you to see.

3. Create my next issue of Becky Bedbug magazine
Hmmm... I was behind on even publishing the first magazine! I have half the magazine done and ready to publish but there's still some finishing off I need to do. Maybe next month...

I actually found my goals really easy to achieve. It's my aim to keep going with these from now on. I know I can do it, so there's no reason why I can't! 

Monday

Vogue Festival 2013

I was desperate to go to the first Vogue Festival last year, but I couldn't afford a ticket at the time. So this year, I was determined to get one. I had a whole list of events I wanted to go to, but tickets went on sale in the middle of the month so I had to wait until payday to see what was left available. Luckily for me, one of the events on my wishlist was still available.

This event was Alber Elbaz: The Dream and Reality of Fashion. I first read about Elbaz, the creative director of Lanvin, in one of the first Vogue magazines I bought. This funny little character really appealed to me- He doesn't take himself too seriously and seemed to be a very witty, quirky guy. 

Unfortunately, I missed my train and ended up getting to the venue about 8 minutes late. Thankfully, there was a lovely guy on the door who sneaked me in. To say I was relieved was an understatement! 

Alexandra Schulman, editor of British Vogue, led Elbaz in conversation, discussing how he uses fashion to make women feel good about themselves. Let me tell you now, this guy is inspirational! He is so funny, filled with anecdotes (one that stands out for me is the woman who  introduced him as "The man at Lan-Vin who designs the stuff" and leads him to label himself as a Stuff Designer) and words of wisdom. 

"Fashion is not about a second skin. Fashion is about a fantasy"

"I guess I'm a contradiction. I am what I hate"

"I like perfection but I think that perfect is the most dangerous thing, because there is nothing after perfect"

"You have to let go and be who you are. If you look like Danny DeVito, that's ok. As long as you feel good"

After the talk, in which some jammy girl managed to bag a personalised sketch of herself from him, I ventured out into the hall. It was manic. I could barely move for the amount of the people that were crammed into this tiny space. Maybe somewhere larger would have been better.

There was a Vogue Braid Bar, where you could have your hair braided into one of five different styles. It was included in the ticket price, but the queue was huge so I decided to give it a miss. I'd probably have been too upset at taking it out in the evening anyway! 

As well as the braid bar, there was a Dior make up counter. I had already applied full make up, and I didn't feel like relinquishing control of my face to a stranger, so I just hung back and watched.

Of course, being the Vogue Festival, there was gorgeous style inspiration everywhere you looked. 

This 80s jacket is amazing. How do people spot these things? If I saw this in a charity shop, I'd probably laugh at how hideous it is! How do people manage to look past that and make it look amazing? I must learn their secrets! 

The greatest floral blazer ever. I would totally wear this. If I was a blazer girl. Which I'm not. 

Pretty lace top (and braid-barred-on-up) and killer, killer boots! 

I pretty much fell in love with this gorgeous chica on the spot. The hair, the jacket, the (just visible) unicorn brooch...and can you spot the douche bag? Seriously, amazing! 

I like to take photos of people taking photos. 

Overall, I had a lovely time. I think it would have been a better experience if I'd been able to share it with somebody else though. Any takers for next year?

28th April 2013

Cardigan: Collectif
Vest: Peacocks
Skirt: Topshop
Ring: Online Rings*

Yesterday was a highly stressful day involving missed trains, late arrivals and missing sunglasses. Despite this, I managed to have a great time at the Vogue Festival, and I'll tell you all about it later.

I wanted to wear my new anchor-embroidered Primark slipper shoes, so I went for a full-on nautical theme. Red and blue are my favourite colours to wear, after all! (Who remembers my Union Jack challenge?)

Can you believe that this is the first time I've worn my hair down in public (apart from when it was short) in about 5 years? I like it and I can't believe how long my hair has got! I'll definitely be doing this more often. I just wish straightening it wasn't such a chore! 

It also gave the chance to wear this adorable ring that I was sent by Online Rings. I mean, it's a starfish, and starfish live in the sea, so that works, right? Due to my insanely tiny fingers, it was a bit big for me, but Rich managed to bend it into shape. I love it! 

Sunday

52 Shoes XV

Today, I went to the Vogue Festival and I had grand plans to take photos of my shoes in the venue. Then, of course, I forgot, so have this hurried snap taken on the train back!

These navy beauties are from Primark and I absolutely blooming love them! 

Review: Morrocan Oil

I'd been meaning to buy Moroccan Oil for the longest time. Back in October, I picked up the cheap Primark version, and I was surprised at how good it was for the price. Then it ran out and I thought it was high time that I splashed out on the original. Then, conveniently, I noticed that Vogue were sending them out as free gifts with subscriptions. My Vogue subscription had just finished, so I re-subscribed and killed two birds with one stone. Happy days!

I was really impressed that it comes with a pump dispenser. This makes it so easy to apply, as I just pump twice and know that I have the perfect amount. 
The oil is a dark orange shade, but it comes in a light version if you have blonde hair, and has a syrupy consistency. It smells amazing- Just like Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. Yum! 

On curly hair
This is how my natural hair looks without Moroccan Oil:
 And this is how it looks afterwards:
As you can see, there's no real difference. My hair is still frizzy on top and the curls at the bottom are slightly more defined, but barely noticable. It does feel a lot nicer and seems glossier, although this hasn't been picked up in the photos.

On straight hair
It's a lot more effective when my hair has been straightened. It looks pretty subtle in these photos as it's difficult to see the shine. However. if you look closely, you can see my hair has a lot of flyaway hairs around the bottom half.

After applying the Moroccan Oil, however, the flyaways are smoothed down, the ends have a cleaner finish, and it is super shiny. 
I do love my Moroccan Oil! Has anybody else used it? 

Saturday

25 things fat people shouldn't do: Jump in a lift

"25 Things Fat People Shouldn't Do is an unabashed middle finger to the preposterous idea that any human who weighs more than the status quo does not deserve to live a full and well rounded (ahem) life. The list of 25 is composed word for word from direct lists of sheer assholery found on the internet. These range from the absurd to the profoundly shameful, and I will be disproving this offensive notion with style. May the Chub Club live long and prosper!"-The Militant Baker

Jump in a lift
 I don't like lifts at the best of the time. I'm not massively afraid of them- I will use them- but they certainly make me feel a little uncomfortable and I'm always relieved to get out of it. So the thought of jumping in one was not fantastic. Still, I'm a dedicated little bedbug and I was going to complete this challenge! 

Just look at the confidence on my face...

27th April 2013

Dress: Topshop

I'm having a very lazy day today! I was all ready to go to London for the Vogue festival (and sneak into a quick detour to the Gasogian Gallery for the Rachel Whiteread exhibition) when I suddenly realised that my ticket is for tomorrow. Luckily, I noticed last night and didn't have the embarrassment of actually turning up on the wrong day!

I played around with my hair a bit today. Just the childish act of piling it up in different directions and seeing what it looks like. I discovered what I would have looked like in 1994.

Friday

FF XXXVI

I cannot wait to try out this beautiful hair tutorial. 
This video is seriously funny, especially the comments about The Daily Mail! 
I guess this skinless Elmo is pretty creepy but I find it really funny!
I read about Zoom Rockman in the Evening Standard this week. He is 12 years old, and has been publishing his own comic The Zoom since he was 8. One seriously talented kid! 
Isn't Kathryn's dinosaur gif just the cutest thing you have EVER seen! 
How freaking perfect is Laura's outfit? 
This man sounds exactly like Kermit the Frog and I cannot get over it! 

Book review: Strangeland

Strangeland- Tracey Emin 
For many years, I was embarrassed about my love of Tracey Emin's art. After her Turner Prize nomination, it became a cliché to even mention her name. Whether you liked her or loathed her, your opinion would always seem lazy- Just picking an argument to sound like you know about art.

Eventually, I became confident enough in my knowledge of postmodern art to accept that Tracey Emin is my favourite artist. I don't care what anyone else thinks- Her works speak to me in a way that no other art does.
Because of this, I've been meaning to buy one of her books for the longest time. When I stumbled across this in a charity bookshop, I couldn't resist. I read it in the space of 24 hours and I absolutely loved it.

The way she writes- dark, twisted, disjointed- is reminiscent of the introduction to Philip Ridley's Plays. It's hard to believe everything she says, and the reader is left wondering how much is truth and how much is pure fantasy. The jumbled narrative communicates the sense of chaos and loss that she has felt in her life, whilst posing questions that encourage the reader to look deep into their own soul.
This style of writing is not for everyone. Much like her art, you either get it or you don't. For me, I was not surprised to fall as in love with her writing style as I did her art. 

Thursday

Sponsor Becky Bedbug in May

I try to think of a related theme for my sponsor photo each month. I drew a blank for May though, and eventually settled on making myself a Morris dancer. You know, like a May Day thing? I don't know. I was grasping at straws, ok?

Anyway, May is almost upon us and the days are getting brighter. At long last! Want to brighten up my life? Why not sponsor me a little? I promise I'm a great hostess! 

All sponsors get an advert in my sidebar for 30 days, reaching out to my 1300+ followers across GFC and Bloglovin'. You also get a shoutout on Twitter, viewed by 1250+ followers, and, with some of the options, featured in a sponsor post on Becky Bedbug. 

Prices start from $10/ £6.60 so there is an option to suit all budgets! Full details can be found on my sponsorship page. I'm also happy to host giveaways and review products, so get in touch if this is something you're interested in. I look forward to having you on board!  

Wednesday

What's in my bag: Weekend edition

After the fun I had creating last month's What's in my Bag post, I figured I would do one to show you lovelies what's in my weekend bag. 

I was lucky enough to win a gift voucher in a giveaway, and used it to buy this cute backpack from Chicwish. I really love it. It's the perfect size for the weekend, so adorable and it makes carrying all my stuff a doddle. Pretty and practical! 

Clockwise from top left:

iPod
Obviously this is a given. Who doesn't love to hear their favourite music as they're out and about? Especially now that Spring is rapidly surrounding us, I love to hear some happy, summery tunes. 

Business cards
After all, you never know who you might bump into! Plus, I think everyone feels pretty grown up carrying business cards around!

Phone
Of course. I use my phone for blogging stuff a lot. Email, analytics, Twitter, Hootsuite, Bloglovin'... If I'm out and about, I can still carry out essential bloggy work.

Purse
I've had this purse for a year now and it's getting a little bedraggled. I think I'm going to keep my eye out for a new one soon.

Apocalips
Any red lip product is a necessity for me! 

Receipts and bus tickets
They just accumulate!

Train tickets
Yeah, spot the non-driver!

Tissues
Complete with lipstick blotting marks. I'm a classy bird like that! 

Envelope and note from Today I'm Wearing
I was lucky enough to win a £100 Topshop voucher from them. They sent me this cute little handwritten note with it! Ps: Do you like the strategic hiding of my address?

Topshop voucher pocket and flyer
Vouchers are now spent, of course, but I still have the pocket because I'm one of those people who never gets round to emptying their bags! As for the Topshop flyer, I don't even remember picking it up. I'm pretty sure I go into a trance as soon as I enter the shop!

Newspaper clippings
My grandma gave me a magazine that her friend had given to her. These press clippings about IVF treatment for gay couples and over-40s were inside. I assume my grandma's friend cut them out since, as far as I know, she has no desire for more children!! Again, I never got round to throwing them out.

Diana F+ camera and spare film
Complete with fish eye lens at the moment. I carry my Diana everywhere with me, and I'm really trying to use her more often. I keep forgetting she's in there!

What do you carry around at the weekend?

Tuesday

My diaries 1998- 2003

Aged 10, I began a diary with the words "I fancy a boy called Alex. I hope I will get famous by writing in my diary like Anne Frank and Samuel Peepes". 14 years later, I am still writing in a diary, although it's not the same book, of course. In fact, it's the 25th book that I'm on now and I have to keep them all stored in a massive cardboard box. 
My diaries are so important to me. I've documented every moment of my life as I've grown up, both my best day and my worst were recorded immediately. They provide an instant resource to my own past, a key to my memories that can be unlocked at any time. Most importantly, though, nobody has ever read them. They hold my deepest and darkest secrets.

I thought it might be fun to go through each diary and record some of the best quotes from them. Obviously I won't be sharing anything too personal but, if you've ever wanted to delve into the psyche of 10 year old Becky (well, you might have!), then read on!

Since there are so many, I will do this as a series with 3 diaries in each post. I'll keep all spelling, punctuation and grammar intact. Each diary has a name, which retrospectively provides a glimpse to who I was at that time.

Cally (20th March 1999- 7th April 2002)
A bit about me:
I fancy a boy called Alex. I hope I will get famous by writing in my diary, like Anne Frank and Samuel Peepes. I've tried writing a diary twice but they were only not books- I lost one and couldn't keep up with the other. [Later] I don't fancy Alex anymore. I have a boyfriend called Ashley"

24th May 1999
"For my birthday party, I am allowed Katie sleepover on Saturday, say, and on Sunday (my birthday) we go to the cinema and some posh restruant like pizza hut."

3rd September 1999
"In the last 2-ish months I have been getting through the latest craze- 'Harry Potter' books".

26th January 2002
"I went 2 snaps [local disco] yestrda- it was so cool! [My friends] said I needed a boy to dance wiv so they went 2 ask one if he'd dance wiv me... He said yes so I danced wiv him then he asked me 2 get in wiv him so I did. My first kiss!"

Emma-Rae (8th April 2002- 9th January 2003)

A bit about me:
I hope I will get famous by writing in my diary like Anne Frank or Samuel Peepes. You are my 2nd diary. I've finished my first one, Cally. I had her for 3 years and I hope you're going to be as faithful to me as she was.
I have light brown, long-ish, curly hair and wear small red glasses. I'm 13 years old and I'll hide you with Cally".

13th April 2002
"I've just got back from my dancing presentation. In 2 dance Latin- Paso Doble and Jive- we came THIRD! Can you believe that- third. Oh my god- I still can't believe it- now I know exactly how Halle Berry felt when she won the oscar!"

16th May 2002
"On a Yahoo search we typed in my name and I was on there! How cool is that. The real me!"

7th January 2003
"This is so cool- I just got a fruit 'n' nut with two wrappers! I thought it was mouldy just then but it's just the raisins showing through the chocolate!"

Tallulah (18th January 2003- 13th June 2003)

A bit about me:
I hope that one day I'll get famous for my diary like Anne Frank or Samuel Pepes. You are my third diary. My last two were called Cally and Emma-Rae. I had Cally for three years and Emma-Rae for eight months, and I hope you will be as faithful to me as they were.
I have mousy blonde/ brown, longish, curly hair and small greeny-coloured glasses. I'm 14 years old and I've fancied a boy called Chris for 16 months."

20th January 2003
"Myles has got this orange that he's left in my room overnight, and it's all stale, and he was actually going to eat it!... Myles was just sick in the bin (because of the orange) but he seems to be ok now- well, he's atacking Jamie which has to be a good sign!"

20th May 2003
"I'm like the stereotypical geek- frizzy hair, glasses, braces (nearly)!... I love Marie- she's so honest. When I took my glasses off, she said "You've got dark circles under your eyes, love. You need more sleep" and she said that I'll be fine once I get my brace on and off again"

3rd June 2003
"No one seems to like me. I've gone from being treated like a godess to a mere mortal. Well, I'm not special anymore, am I?"

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