Hello! Today I was planning on doing an outfit post with some things I've bought since I've been in Sheffield, but the light faded quicker than I thought today so I will take those pictures tomorrow, and in the mean time I thought I could show you a little what my room looks like here! I feel strange calling it home, because it is but it isn't. When I went home last month I had the same kind of in between feeling, a weird stasis. Like I belonged but didn't belong. It took a while for my body to get used to being here, feeling the mattress fit to the contours of my body, waking up to see these walls. So, for now I won't call it a home, but rather my base camp.
My bookshelf, with some books for the course (on the left), some favourites (Slaughterhouse Five, Middlesex, A Clockwork Orange) as well as ones I've bought here & others that I haven't read yet but thought would come in useful. I also have the clock my Granny sent me, as well as a disposable camera (which I am being extra careful with seeing as the last one I got developed came out so dreadfully) and my PG Tips Monkey, which remind me of home and in jokes.
Files, cookbooks (from which I have made soups, curries and other things), my hard drive, films to make me happy if I ever feel down (including Gregory's Girl which reminds me of my Dad) and a piggy bank which my Dad gave me several years ago.
Scarf corner. I also keep my hairbands here, and my stack of inspirational magazines. I bought the print version of Rookie, and I brought Pigeons & Peacocks as well as some issues of Oh Comely with me to flick through when I feel like I need something visual and beautiful to look through. Since being here, I have also bought my first ever copy of Lula magazine, which I'd been looking forward to buying for ages, but never seemed to find it or justify the cost. I am reading it a few pages at a time, rationing it.
Ikea boxes which I've had for years to keep my make up and jewellery in. Also some photos of friends and some favourite postcards from the National Portrait Gallery.
Heart shaped dish from a charity shop which I'm keeping my sunglasses in, as well as fake flowers from a charity shop, Marlena's Pastel Puke zine and some necklaces I made. I like to keep little pockets of creativity here, as I haven't really had much of a chance to do any work in my sketchbook since I've been here. I did life drawing the other week, which was amazing and it felt really good to hold a pencil again, in a capacity other than to annotate a book.
Bus tickets, clothing labels, tickets and wristbands from fresher's week & other things, photographs from home and a key ring of me and my friend Alix.
Strawberry Switchblade, Madonna and Kate Bush vinyl singles. I brought these here for the sole purpose of using them to decorate my room, and I really like having them here. My desk is for work, but it is nice to have a colourful and vibrant backdrop behind it, reminding me of other forms of creativity and of other things that I like. There are also two passport photographs of me at the side, in all honesty I'm not sure why I keep them here. Possibly narcissism as self care, but also because I find it fascinating to look at myself as I was then. These were taken a few days before I started college last year, and I find it so amazing but so odd at the same time to look back at myself then. In so many ways, I am the same person but completely different.
More photographs from home and flyers from some of the societies I've joined since being here. The only one I've been to regularly is the Burlesque Society, I've only been to Stitch Society once despite paying membership! I did life drawing with the Art Society but they normally clash with Burlesque, which is a shame. The Burly Q poster is for a burlesque variety performance in March, I went to the November one last weekend and it was wonderful. I'm also thinking of joining the Fashion Society, I met some of the members the other day when they caught me coming out of the library and took a picture of my outfit for their street style album, which was really cool! The photo is quite funny, I found it on Facebook and I have the most awkward arms ever.
A dachshund pen which my mum gave me for my last birthday, as well as a ridiculous vintage brooch she gave me when I was home. I don't know how well you can see it, but it is of two cats (that look like owls!) with googly eyes in a basket with two balls of wool. It is so awful and ugly, I love it. Beside it is my Burlesque Society membership card.
Two flyers for a vintage fair that's here in December, I went to the one in October and bought some things which I am yet to show you! I put this card beside it because I thought the colours matched perfectly; it's a textile piece made by one of my favourite local artists back home, Mandy Pattullo.
More photos from home, as well as my Feminist Killjoy banner and postcards from my mum and sister.
My shoes. I only really wear like three pairs of these, but I do have some new ones to show you soon!
And finally, my bedcovers and a cushion me & my mum made when I was about twelve. I hope you enjoyed this little mini tour of my world at university.
