I didn’t have the energy to do one of these in December, so this a combined one. It also had the added bonus of letting me keep using my snowman avatar for another month – definitely my favourite so far!
Fave 5 from the blog – January
– Super cute Mt Fuji products I designed for my Society6 shop
– The snowflake Christmas cards I made for family and friends
– Behind the scenes of my product making and packaging
– My awesome Christmas gifts
– My favourite books, music, TV and films of 2014
Fave 5 from the blog – December
– A look back at what I got up to in 2014
– A printable Snow Day garland to decorate your home
– How to make your own mini Cookie Cute Christmas cards
– My cute Christmas decorations
– The 5 minute jewellery display board I made
Links I Loved
– Another amazing batch of holiday comics from Kate Beaton
– Loved reading all about Jenna’s winter break in Tokyo, which includes an amazing video from their helicopter ride over night time Tokyo. (also congratulations!)
– Lucy’s guide to Amsterdam is making me want to go back
– Really interesting in depth article about The Knowledge, the test London taxi drivers have to pass.
– I still love buying vinyl and this article on vinyl pressing plants is a good read.
Added to my Wishlist
I just got another gift voucher to spend so this is occupying my thoughts. Sadly the pink floral top is sold out in my size.
Easy Day Dress | Vintage Sun Top
Yellow Sunflower Vest | Multi Stripe Tee
Reading
Dungeon Fun #2 + #3
I don’t read a lot of comics and getting these reminded me why – by the time the next one comes out, I’ve forgotten what happened before. Dungeon Fun is worth the effort though, and re-reading the previous ones is hardly a trial. With a plucky girl hero, loads of hilarious monster sidekicks and crammed full of RPG/Zelda type game references, this is awesomely silly fun. GO BUY IT. [Neil’s Etsy shop]
An Age of License: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley
I got this for Christmas and read it all on Boxing Day. It’s a good long graphic novel about Lucy’s trip around Europe while she ponders her life, her career, her new romance and all those big questions. As with all her work, it’s fun, excellently captured and full of interesting ideas and places. Definitely worth picking up. [Buy on Amazon]
Space Race: The Epic Battle Between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space by Deborah Cadbury
I saw this in the window of one of Helensburgh’s many charity shops, but it was £5 and hardback so I waited until the ebook was on sale. I’m on a bit of a Russian space history kick at the moment, after watching the cosmonauts documentary a few months ago. Now that they’re releasing more footage and documentation, it’s just as thrilling a story as the US space programme. This book tells the intertwined stories of the two rocket scientists at the forefront of the US and Russian battle to be first into space. With both starting out designing missiles in WW2, the early chapters are quite exciting, as both sides try to snatch up the Nazi technology, scientists and blueprints from under the clueless noses of the British. The story is full of twists and you end up cheering on both sides, while uncomfortably remembering that you’re basically supporting an SS Major and someone who reveres Stalin. The story ends at the Moon landing, since that was pretty much the end of the space race, but I would love to read a sequel about the space stations. The Russians really did win the long game. [Buy on Amazon]
There’s also a four part TV show based on the book, which I got off Lovefilm and is pretty great. Even though I’d just read the book, it’s hard to remember which of the hundreds of rocket tests and launches were successful, so it’s all still quite exciting. Would recommend to fellow space nerds.
Watching
Revenge
Apparently this is the last season, which is sad but probably necessary. The main storyline this year seems to be that everyone has a ridiculous new hairstyle and Jack is a (terrible, useless) cop, because why the hell not. My main dismay is that Conrad hasn’t come back as a zombie, but there’s still time.
Also glad to have Brooklyn Nine-Nine back, and Wolf Hall is shaping up to be brilliant.
What Did Lovefilm send me?
Space Race, as above and True Detective, which I went on about in my Favourite Fives.
Playing
My best of 2014 list had me do my occasional search in the Nintendo eStore for a new Picross game and yes, Picross e5 is out! It’s exactly the same as the previous e versions and I’m finding I don’t even look to see what picture is created at the end. I just like solving the puzzles.
Listening
I’ve only given the new Belle and Sebastian album a quick listen on Spotify, but I really really like the first single. Otherwise, I am impatiently awaiting the new Shellac album that Amazon are taking 5 years to deliver, after I failed to buy it in person three times.
How was your month?
