Glassial light

I love sunlight and glassware. Combined they effect a kind of “glassy-light” reflection on the wall.

The warmth of the redish dawn light and “glassial” transparency are the perfect match, right?

P.S. The very last bit of Christmas is in this picture ... Guess what I’m talking about.

Listomania(c)

A Most Disgusting Song (by Rodriguez/Sugar Man) is one of my favourite songs and is, of course, everything but disgusting. (Paradox-like, right?) It’s about the sing-songwriter’s audience; he’s making a list of the different types he observes every time he’s on stage. 

LISTOMANIA!!!

While listening to that song (for the trillionth time) it dawned on me that I’m a listographer, or worse: a listomaniac. The thing is, I find lists of all kinds when I clean up the apartment. Summarize “things to do today”, make an inventory of Christmas (and other) presents to buy, create an overview of things to buy next season and so on; I list all the time. I wonder how come, why I do this listing so often. It’s not that I really use the checklists. I mean, otherwise I wouldn’t find them everywhere I go, right? It must be the control freak in me, my need for an overview of everything in my life that makes me enumerate so much.

To find a more “scientific” explanation for my listing behaviour I did some research. It seems that, indeed, control has something to do with it as well as the ability to remember the listed “tasks”. Furthermore the brain simply loves lists; they offer information in a well-structured way and create a clear overview, which makes it “all” (i.e. the to does) easier to remember. (Exactly what I thought.) Also, they “surprise” because they’re a change from information in full sentences and texts. Well ... maybe I should try listed blogging in the future ... What do you think?

P.S. Knowing all this I see why I like Rodriguez’s song best; it’s the listing. I’d say: let’s listen and hear for yourself (here).

sources
pic: wikipedia
info: knack & vief

Sjjjjjjt

This little cookie-cake bag, it’s like the perfect hiding place for (women’s) secrets.

cutie-pie zip, cupcake and cookie

Perfect for, let’s say a hidden stash of chocolates, love letters from a secret (or not so secret) lover and a wish list of shoes and bags that you’re planning to buy without telling anyone because they’re way to expensive and because you actually don’t really need them at all. A lipstick, travel-size perfume bottle and blush would fit in perfectly too (especially if you’re one of these women who pretend to be all natural but in fact do wear some make-up). A diary (I’m thinking: mini Moleskine notebook) and other writing stuff like pen and pencils could be carried around in this small beauty too. And how about a pyjama party? I know the perfect clutch for a happening like that.

Anyway, I guess I made my point: this cute pocket bag (secret gift from Le Boyfriend btw) will come in handy one (secret) way or another.

P.S. What kind of secrets do you have?

Heartbroken

Since the beginning of December you were there for me. Whenever I got up, came home, entered the living room, I could light you up and you started to sparkle, to shine, which brightened me up. 

Every time I walked by you I said to myself, and I’m pretty sure you noticed by the way I looked at you, “Wow you look great”. Those blue bags, golden ribbons and that natural final pinecone touch; the decorations fitted you perfectly. You know, to be honest, I had like a Christmas crush on you.

Then (now that is), it’s time for you to disappear (after six weeks or so). Because that’s what people do once the holidays are over: they get rid of their Christmas tree. I tried to put it off, yet I knew that one day I would have to. Again, because that’s what people do. (Still having your tree up about two weeks after the beginning of the New Year is like a crime so it seems.) 
However, last Saturday morning it happened. I said to myself: “No compassion, no melancholy, no drama. Stay cool and un-decorate that tree. Put all the decorations in a box, take the lights off and move the tree out of the living room into the hallway so that you can’t see it anymore.” That’s exactly what I did, except for the last part. I just couldn’t and so now, by the front door we have a naked Christmas tree. When I see you standing there like that, without decorations all by yourself I feel like hugging you. But then again I know I can’t because you’re just too big to hug and besides, your needles would tickle me. It’s a cold comfort but it’s something to hang on to as it proves that maybe you weren’t so perfect after all.

P.S. Thanks to the Bay City Rollers for their title inspiration.

Find four

Okay, maybe there’s no finding activity involved here as you get the four in a row on a plate (the mantlepiece that is).

silver Pomax and coloured Sia mushrooms

Even though I’ve never been a gamer (as in fan of parlour games) I really used to like the one where you had to drop red or yellow rounds in a blue grid and try to connect four of the same colour next to each other. Well, if I get bored this weekend I know what to do.

P.S. Happy Friday!

The losing game

A stoned apple stuffed with raisins, sprinkled with cinnamon and wrapped in a coat of sweet paste. Belgians (especially those living in the region of Antwerp) eat these so called “appelbollen” when they lose Monday. This happens once a year, a week after Epiphany (i.e. yesterday).

an example (that I ate yesterday)

To explain this tradition we need to travel back in time. You see, rumour has it that in the Middle Ages civil servants were entitled on that particular day of the year. The event was followed by a celebration because of which the people didn’t work much that day. Hence Lost Monday (translation of Verloren Maandag). Other say the guilds celebrated the New Year that day and (of course) didn’t make it to work either because of the festivities.

So basically it comes down to this: Monday parties kept people from doing their job, which meant a loss of working hours. If the stories are true, well ... I could lose Monday every week.

P.S. Other than the apple pie-ish pastries people also eat sausage rolls on this day of the year, the original lost meal since the late eighteen hundreds.

Here comes the sun

“Always look on the bright side of life” Monty Python once song. In the dark time of the year (i.e. winter) that’s not always so easy; you have to get up way before daybreak and can only go home from work after sunset. The absence of natural light can weigh on one’s mindset. However I’m one of those lucky bastards who can enjoy the sunrise every morning (if the weather is clear, that is).

As The Beatles once song: “here comes the sun”.

Sun comes up on a smooth winter morning; 

Little Miss Sunshine kept us company 

(and warm: it was like 13 degrees outside!) 

all day long.

P.S. You know, looking on the bright side of life actually is possible in winter if your day starts with such a radiant, shiny view (and a cup of morning coffee, of course).

A good year

The beginning of a new year is the ultimate moment to set goals for oneself, things to do (or explicitly not to) in the 365 days to come. It’s all about the so-called resolutions that one (plans) to live up too. 

A famous example often heard on New Year's Eve:

How about me?

Well ... I could have told myself to leave the chocolate and coffee alone in the year to come or to be less of a control freak but then again one should know, and admit, that some things simply will never change.

Before I start with the real stuff, let me be clear about one thing: I’m not very serious about resolutions (attempts in the past have shown that these sort of plans usually don’t work out for me). In spite of my “un-seriousness” about this and many other things I’ve been told soooo many times (way too many that is) that I look so serious. This year, my “grim” mask is definitely one to lose. So people (colleagues, friends, family, roomie ...) be prepared for some Ellebasicious jokes this year. Oh, funny thing about this "will": it has been put in motion last year already (i.e. 2013) when writing Holiday wishes. You see, they included some jokes (no products of my own serious mind, of course, but gags found on the internet). How do you like this TwoBadMice humour?

could be a resolution (joke) for Le Boyfriend

Another ambition of mine: I will no longer wash my hair every day. I’ve been doing this for years and it’s really bad, especially since it makes my spaghetti hair even more spaghetti-like.

As only two to-does (actually one do an one don’t) would be really silly I burdened myself with a mission impossible too: don’t buy any bags in the year to come. This unlike last year where there has been some serious activity in the "bag business" (i.e. me buying a new bag every three months).

Will I manage to live by these rules or will I fail? That's the question now. I've got the feeling that this year's gonna be a good year and that it will all work out pretty well. In the end it’s about NOT doing things that I used to do, things that used to make my life harder than it had to be. All I MUST do is make my life funnier and for all I know laughter never hurt anyone.

P.S. Do you have ambitions to improve your life in 2014?

source pictures: TwoBadMice