Wednesday 30 July 2014

Writing about the Big Subjects: Female Pubic Hair

Writing about the Big Subjects: Female Pubic Hair - Carrie Bradshaw

If you're related to me or of a particularly sensitive constitution, please stop reading.

I wanted to update you some on some work I've been doing for online and e-magazine Raw Attraction. This is a nice change for me as instead of writing about crafts, health or children's clothes, I've mainly been writing about pubic hair.

It all started with Cameron Diaz; she released The Body Book in which she sung the praises of pubic hair and this led me to write an article about female pubic hair for Raw Attraction which is named Is Bush Back? (I'm pretty damn proud of that title) It explores how pubic hair has gone from large 70s bush to bald Brazilian and how the trend is now something in between.

Here's the first page of the article.

Raw Attraction Magazine - Is Bush Back?

In the process of writing this article I asked a couple of experts for comment. One of them is A-list beautician and make-up artist Gemma Aldous who's let me know what her clients expect from a bikini wax.

Writing about the Big Subjects: Female Pubic Hair - Beautician Gemma Aldous

To get the male point of view I asked porn star Tyler Knight, an expert indeed. By the way, his view is that "real men aren't afraid to get hair in their teeth."

Writing about the Big Subjects: Female Pubic Hair - Porn Star Tyler Knight

I loved writing this article and I have a couple more coming up with the magazine.

This article is in the latest issue of Raw Attraction which is available here.

By the way, they've called me Elizabeth in the article. This is because they thought I'd be embarrassed to use my own name, but, hell, who cares? They've also said that 'Elizabeth' likes to cook and "make love on the kitchen table," which shows how little they know me. I don't have a kitchen table.

I'll update some more soon. Keep in touch.

Plus, if you have any strong opinions on pubic hair please let me know.


Thursday 17 July 2014

How to Work when it's Sunny - Reblog from Ideas Tap


The weather has been glorious recently and I shouldn't complain, but like a typical British person I will; it's so hard to work from home when it's so hot and sunny.

The heat that melts your brain and the sun that's begging you to go outside all work against you.

However, I've just seen this great article on Ideas Tap for freelancers and artists on how to work in the sunshine; it's got some great tips, such as taking a siesta and working in the morning.

I'd also add another; invest in a fan!


I've reposted it below, see the original here.


How to work when it's sunny


British people treat the sun with the kind of casual, reasoned indifference with which moths treat flames. But there are ways to stay on track when the sun is shining....

Find it hard to concentrate when it’s hot? Pals, you’re looking at the girl who did her entire Psychology A-level revision sitting in a paddling pool, listening to Barry White (I got an A, thank you for asking). But here are a few things I’ve learned on the way about getting shit done in the blazing sunshine. 

Get up earlier
Take a tip from our cousins on the equator. My Indian family wakes up at 5am and work through til lunch. A lunch which they spend, like all right-thinking people, having a nap somewhere near a whisper of breeze. 
Of course, in the UK things are milder than a block of cheap cheddar. But the model still applies – to make the most of a lovely, warm day, wake up early and get as much done as possible during the cool, crisp dawn, before things get really glorious. Then you’ve earned a nice midday sun soak, park party of whatever else it is you kids get up to in nice weather. Then, when things cool down and the sun sinks below the horizon, you can get back on track.
Go lo fi
Computers and midday sunshine are about as compatible as thumbs and lit flames. So, wherever possible, leave those winking plug-in borefests at home. Writers – rediscover long hand. Designers – remember pencils? Actors – take your dictaphone to the park. Photographers – are you sure you need to be editing shots, rather than taking them?
Find somewhere with big windows 
Preferably ones that open. If, like 42% of our members, you’re London-based then make like those insufferable chumps in silver paint who pretend to be robots all day, and head to the Southbank. The Royal Festival Hall, for instance, is a lovely place to work when it’s sunny – with the view of the river, ready access to fountains and windows big enough to sink a ship.

So, let’s crowdsource this puppy: where are the nice places with big windows that are nice to work in near you? Let us know in the comments section below...
Ask for flexitime
It is, after all, the law.
Use your phone 
If you have a smartphone then you can get a hell of a lot done away from your desk. Record memos, answer emails, take notes etc etc. Just be sure to turn off your location settings if you’re emailing an office-based colleague as they’ll only start to hate you. 
Go into total denial
When working from home on a sunny day, James Hopkirk – our noble editor and super chief – pulls down his blackout blinds so he can’t be distracted by the sun outside. Now, while the idea of total domestic solar eclipse makes me want to shave my head and go run into a stream, he may have a point. Sometimes, when the sun has put his hat on, it’s best to don your blinkers and get shit done.

Image by **Mary** via Flickr under a creative commons license.

Friday 11 July 2014

Books About Town

Book Bench - The Librarian, Author: Terry Pratchett
The Librarian, Author: Terry Pratchett

I love all the new book benches that have appeared in London, especially this Terry Pratchett one. I've written a post about it on my other blog, check it out here.