Tag: seasonal

Merry Christmas 2020

So it’s Christmas and here I give you 2020-appropriate Christmas pics.

Tree in my neighbourhood.

Lights in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester. At least they still put some in there.

This year, I got myself a Christmas bouquet and put it in a vase. It’s the only kind of Christmas decoration I have in my flat, apart from a string of Christmas lights. I threw away my old Christmas tree, there’s just no space for it in my living room now (I made some changes to the decor).

I wish everyone a good holiday.

International Women’s Day 2020

Like last year, I am doing a mixed content post.

The Photograph

I tried to imitate the Rosie the Riveter poster using my Captain Marvel doll and a yellow card paper.

TV Quotes

Chrisjen Avasarala from The Expanse, responding to mansplainers:

Or you can have the pure female rage from the Game of Thrones:

What of my wrath, Lord Stark?

Cersei Lannister

The Book

It’s really a short story: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Based on author’s real life experience, it’s a tale of a woman, who is after the birth of her baby taken by her husband to a countryside mansion for a prescribed “rest cure”. He doesn’t let her do anything, as she must only rest and she is slowly driven insane by the yellow wallpaper on the walls of her room. I call it the Madwoman in the Attic Origin Story and it’s available for free on Gutenberg here.

The Music

Lizzo’s album Cuz I Love You – enjoy!

A Love Letter

As I say every year, Valentine’s Day is nothing to me. I chose singledom. But it can’t be denied that it offers very aesthetically pleasing opportunities for photography. Or art in general. And stories and poems and songs and important essays about relationships–it’s certainly good for creativity. For better or worse.

You can always be your own valentine if there’s no one else. At least then you don’t have to share any chocolate.

Love yourself.

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas.

Or, if you don’t want to be merry for whatever reason, I wish you a quiet and peaceful Christmas.

And if you don’t want any Christmas at all, have a good time off work, filled with whatever activity you want.

And if you have to work at Christmas, I wish you a lot of energy to get you through the day and not too many idiots to deal with.

Christmas in the City

I’ve taken a few shots with my new Motorola One Zoom of the festive Manchester, so I thought I’d make a post of them. The phone shoots quite decently in the dark, which is something I still haven’t learnt to do.

Some pics of the Christmas markets, which have now wrapped up.

This last one is from inside the Printworks. So good of Iorek Byrnison to grace us with a visit! I bet that scarf was a gift from Lyra. 😀 😀 😀

International Women’s Day Post

Today is International Women’s Day and here is my International Women’s Day mixed content post.

The Photographs

A Book

A Statement in the City

An Epic Walk by the Ladies of Peaky Blinders

The Quotes

Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.


Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

There is a stubbornness about me that can never bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.

Jane Austen

A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.

Coco Chanel

Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.

Mae West

The Song

The (Not) Valentine’s Day Post

I’ve never cared for Valentine’s Day ever in my life. Whether I’m in a relationship or single, it just doesn’t mean a thing to me. But it may sometimes present an opportunity for a completely nonsensical photoshoot. Just look at this:

The little bucket is from Yankee Candle.

Two years ago I talked about my favourite fictional pairings, or as they say in fandom speak, ships (short for relationships) and this is a topic I enjoy much more than Valentine’s Day cards or anything else to do with this day. Chocolate I eat all year long anyway, heart-shaped or not–makes no difference once it’s gobbled.

Who is your favourite fictional couple or who do you wish was a fictional couple that isn’t? Tell me in the comments!

Happy Valentine’s Day/Happy Thursday!

The Not Christmas Post

Yeah, I had to go there.

But at least I’m doing this on the 23rd, not on any of the Christmas days. Reality is… well, reality, even at this time of year.

So first of all, I had to make a Brexmas card, because of course.

brexmas card1

Open it!

brexmas card2

UK seems like it’s very sick and needs some good care. Just check this out.

uk not xmas card

It also looks like an England flag, which was not my intention–just a coincidence. Moving on to:

You know how the word snowflake has gained a completely different meaning to what it actually is. Used by people who can’t get over the fact that the world is changing to describe mostly liberals and/or socially conscious (aka woke) people. Snowflake? I give you snowflake.

snowflake card

Bonus – a not Christmas throwback

I found this anti-Christmas card I forgot I had among my Christmas drawings and cards (I have this thing I call the Christmas Book, where I’ve been drawing Christmas scenery and stuff since I was very young and in the last few years been saving cards in it, but that’s not what I want to talk about now). I should say I’m not the artist of this brilliant piece–it was done by a coworker. It’s from 2014 and I think it’s hilarious:

not xmas card

The point is, some people just hate Christmas, or can’t handle it. And that’s okay. It’s not an easy time for everyone, whether it’s for mental health issues, having lost a loved one or working in retail, you are all valid. One can also enjoy some aspects of Christmas and not the others. So maybe you like the food but are not thrilled about having to spend time with annoying relatives. I get that.

I have received shit from someone earlier this year when I said Santa Claus wasn’t real. I said it by mistake. (I think I meant to say something else but my communication skills are so poor I’m glad I can express myself on most days, also remember please that I’m not speaking my native language.) But as a result, I ended up hating that figure. Pass me those anti-Santa rockets, by all means.

Let’s just be good to each other, not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Unless you’re a bigot or a horrible person. Then you don’t deserve to be treated nice.

Merry Christmas.

Or not.