Watching: everything Edinburgh International Festival!! I lost count of all the shows I watched so I'll be sharing my top 5 next week. As well as the comedy and theatre, I went along to the Standard Life Festival Opening Event to watch the light and sound show. This year it was moved to George Square and I thought it worked quite well projected against the three sides- it certainly felt more relaxed and less crowded in the larger space. I also went to the Lush Gorilla Perfume launch party, to check out the art installations created around the scents. They were fun- I liked the granny's sitting room and play kitchen the best but the cardamom coffee scent is delicious.
Doing: during my festival staycation, I made it along to a lot of non-festival goings on. I really enjoyed the Paul Marr x Rowanjoy exhibition, which celebrated ten years of creative collaboration between the photographer and dress designer . I love that these photoshoots have been purely for the creativity, with pieces designed specifically for the concepts rather than retail. The space was beautifully dressed with the prints sat alongside the garments and huge floral displays by Jack Fleuriste. To top up my culture, I saw the latest Dovecot tapestries (swoon!) and the ECA Masters Show. I also popped along to the Edinburgh Cocktail Festival, where there were cocktails served in pineapples- now that's my kind of event!
Buying: I have honestly never put so much thought into a purchase as I have for these damn New Balance trainers. My commute now includes a bit of a walk so I keep my nice work shoes in my office. I've worn down a pair of cheap-but-cute trainers and want something more robust. And not pink. I keep looking at pink ones. I find trainers so uninspiring to look at, so it's taken me forever to match up functionality with style. In the end I've gone for the most nondescript. Meh.
Clicking: I'm more than done with August now, and have looking at all things Autumn since about the 14th. I already have my tickets booked for this year's Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry, after having such a great time last year. We are going to stay in Pitlochry and make a weekend of it, so I'm looking for fun walks to do and places to stop by. Any recommendations?
Watching: I've already harped on to everyone I work with about A Ghost Story so now I'm bringing my love for this film to the blog. Casey Affleck wandering around in a bed sheet while Rooney Mara looks sad and eats a pie. Ok, so it sounds terrible but this film was an amazing cinema experience. It's beautiful, sad, powerful, thought provoking and reassuring. It's difficult to describe and I can see why people might not like it but I was just blown away. The soundtrack, the visuals, the ghost costumes, the movement through time... haunted is the word. When I got home from seeing it my flatmate even asked if I was ok and offered me a hug! I urge you to go and see this film. If you do (or have already seen it) let me know what you think. If you don't like it though we may not be able to be friends anymore.
Doing: I went to not one but two Masters shows in August. Not quite as many as the Degree shows I made it to earlier in the year but still pretty good. I had a quick wiz round Edinburgh College of Art, where I particularly enjoyed the Illustration section. So many colours, playful artworks and some great paper cutting! I also visited the DJCAD show where the work of B.D. Owens,(pictured) stood out to me.
Kimberley and I also had a lot of fun taking part in Emily Millichip's Carmen Miranda Bag Charm workshop at the Craft Scotland Summer Show. It was lovely to have an afternoon filled with tropical shapes, crafting and chat, especially in such nice surroundings. Now I just have to find a bag that deserves my fun new charm!
Buying: While at the ECA Masters show, I treated my self to some work by illustrator Pilar Garcia de Leaniz. I really liked the poster for the event so when I found out it used Pilar's work I knew I wanted to take a piece home. I got myself a pretty skull print that's the perfect mix of creepy and colourful that I enjoy and a fun coaster because they always come in handy. Now I just need to get my act together and get a frame for my new artwork. I still have a few pieces I picked up at the degree shows that are awaiting this treatment so I'm not sure how soon that will happen!
Clicking: My friend Ashley suggested I listen to a podcast called Criminal. I'm not great at discovering new podcasts so I always take on the advice of others. She sent me a specific episode called A Bump in the Night. I listened to it during the day and it still freaked me out! Now I've downloaded a bunch of other episodes and I'm loving the variety of interesting stories.
As I'm visiting Ashley in Northern Island next month, I've also been researching places to go, things to do and where to eat. I've already found 11 Alternative Things to do in Belfast, checked out where the Game of Thrones locations are, found out about Belfast Vintage Shopping and read some food reviews from a local. Have you been? What should I check out?